WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                   Ch. 591

prisoner shall be released from the sentence, and in determining
such time he shall be entitled to diminution of the period of his
confinement as provided in §§ 700(a) and 700(b) of this article.
If any prisoner temporarily removed in accordance with the
provisions of this section escapes, he shall be deemed guilty of
the crime of escape and subject to the penalties prescribed by §
139 of this article.

The expenses of the accommodation, maintenance, and medical
care of the prisoner whose temporary removal has been authorized,
in accordance with this section, shall be paid by the prisoner or
his relatives or friends, or from any funds that are available
for the hospital expense of prisoners, [or, if not otherwise
available, shall be a charge upon the county, city, or town from
which such inmate was committed,] and ARE collectible by the
officer in charge of such institution, in accordance with the
procedure prescribed by Title 16 of the Health - General Article.

699.

If a representation is made to the officer in charge of any
penal institution that a woman confined in such penal institution
is pregnant and about to give birth to a child, a reasonable time
before the anticipated birth of such child, the officer shall
make careful inquiry and, if the facts so require, recommend to
the Governor through the Department of Correction the exercise of
executive clemency. The Governor, without notice, may parole the
convict, commute the sentence, or suspend its execution for a
definite period or from time to time as he deems proper.

If the sentence is suspended, the officer in charge of such
institution, a reasonable time before the anticipated birth of
such child, shall cause such woman to be removed from such
institution and provided with comfortable accommodations,
maintenance, and medical care elsewhere under such supervision
and safeguard to prevent her escape from custody, as he may
determine, and subject to her return to such institution as soon
after the birth of such child as the state of her health will
permit. The expenses of such accommodation, maintenance, and
medical care shall be paid by said woman or her relatives or
friends, or from any fund that is available for the hospital
expenses of such inmate within the institution, [or, if not
otherwise available, shall be a charge upon the county, city, or
town from which such inmate was committed,] and ARE collectible
by [such] THE officer in charge of [such] THE institution TO
WHICH THE INMATE WAS COMMITTED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE
DESCRIBED BY TITLE 16 OF THE HEALTH - GENERAL ARTICLE. Upon
proof being furnished by the father or other relatives of their
ability properly to care for and maintain such child, the
Department may order that the child be given into the care and
custody of the father or other relative, who shall thereafter
care for and maintain the same at his or her own expense until
the release of the mother of such child or until such child shall

- 4051 -