SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                        373

Punishments," subtitle "Employment of Prisoners," to follow im-
mediately after Section 645S of that Article, and to be captioned
"Montgomery County," so as to provide a work release program
in Montgomery County for persons convicted in the Circuit Court
for Montgomery County or in the People's Court of Montgomery
County.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 645T, titled "Montgomery County," be added to
Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967 Replacement
Volume), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitled "Employment
of Prisoners," to follow immediately after Section 645S thereof, be
and it is hereby enacted to read as follows:

645T. Montgomery County

(a)    Whenever a person shall be convicted of a crime and sen-
tenced to imprisonment in any county, town or city jail or de-
tention center within Montgomery County, by the Circuit Court for
Montgomery County or the People's Court of Montgomery County,
the judge imposing sentence may, AT THE TIME OF SENTENCING
OR AT ANY TIME DURING THE PRESCRIBED TERM OF
DETENTION, in accordance with such programs as have been or will
be enacted by the County Council of Montgomery County, prescribe
that the person may continue his regular employment, obtain new
employment, participate in a training or rehabilitation program, or
attend educational institutions in the county, while serving the term
of his sentence; PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT SUCH PRESCRIP-
TION SHALL IN NO EVENT LENGTHEN OR SHORTEN THE
TERM OF THE SENTENCE.

(b)    The Montgomery County Council is authorized and directed
to establish a "Work Release" program under which persons sen-
tenced to imprisonment in the County Detention Center, or other
such similar institution under the jurisdiction of the County, by a
judge of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County or a judge of
the People's Court of Montgomery County, may be granted the priv-
ilege of leaving actual confinement during necessary and reasonable
hours for the purpose of working at gainful private employment.
Such program may also include, under appropriate conditions,
release for the purpose of seeking such employment. Whenever the
prisoner is not employed, or otherwise participating in his work
release program, he shall be confined in the Detention Center unless
the committing court shall direct otherwise.

(c)    The earnings of the prisoner, less payroll deductions required
by law, shall be collected by, or surrendered to, the Warden (or his
authorized representative) of the County Detention Center. From
such earnings, the Warden shall deduct: such amount determined to
be the cost to the County of providing food, lodging and clothing
for such prisoner; such actual and necessary food, travel and other
expenses incidental to his participation in the program; such amount
which the prisoner may be legally obligated to, or reasonably desirous
of, paying for the support of his dependents; and such amount as is
necessary for the repayment to the State or the County for assigned
counsel, in the event the prisoner was represented by a court ap-
pointed attorney; and credit any remaining balance to the prisoner's
account.