Sec. 17a-514. (Formerly Sec. 17-194d). Emergency confinement in hospital for psychiatric disabilities of inmates of correctional institutions.
Sec. 17a-514. (Formerly Sec. 17-194d). Emergency confinement in hospital for
psychiatric disabilities of inmates of correctional institutions. Any person who is in
the custody of the Commissioner of Correction who has suddenly become in need of
care and treatment in a hospital for a psychiatric disorder, other than drug dependence,
whom a physician designated by the Commissioner of Correction finds is a danger to
himself or others or to the security or order of the institution wherein he is confined may
be confined in a hospital under an emergency certificate as hereinafter provided, for not
more than fifteen days without order of any court. If a written complaint for commitment
of such person has been filed in the court of probate for the district wherein such person
is hospitalized prior to the expiration of such fifteen days such confinement shall be
continued under such emergency certificate for an additional thirty days, without further
order, not more than forty-five days in all, until the completion of the probate proceedings. At any time such person is found not to be a person with psychiatric disabilities,
the superintendent of such hospital shall immediately return him to any institution administered by the Department of Correction as the Commissioner of Correction shall
designate, unless his custody in the Commissioner of Correction has terminated, in
which case he shall be discharged. The emergency certificate provided for in this section
shall be left with the person in charge of such hospital at the time of delivery of the
person to such hospital and such certificate shall be dated not more than three days prior
to its delivery, signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery under
the provisions of chapter 370, who is designated by the Commissioner of Correction.
Such certificate shall state the date of the personal examination of the person to be
confined, which shall be not more than three days prior to the date of signature of the
certificate, shall state the findings of the physician relative to the physical and mental
condition of the person and the history of the case, if known, and shall state that it is
the opinion of the physician that the person examined by him is in need of immediate
care in a hospital. Prior to hospitalization under the provisions of this section, any person
shall have the right to be examined by a physician of his own choosing, and if such
physician concludes from his examination that such person does not have psychiatric
disabilities, such person shall not be admitted to or detained in a hospital under the
provisions of this section. If a person with psychiatric disabilities has been admitted to
any hospital under the provisions of this section, the person in charge thereof shall cause
proceedings to be instituted for the commitment, pursuant to the provisions of section
17a-498, of such person in the court of probate having jurisdiction in the town where
such hospital is located. Any irregularity in the temporary confinement of such person
shall be deemed cured by the judge of probate ordering his commitment, and no such
commitment shall be invalid because of such irregularity.
(P.A. 76-190, S. 3, 12; P.A. 81-472, S. 31, 159; P.A. 90-209, S. 17; P.A. 95-257, S. 48, 58.)
History: P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 90-209 deleted provisions re confinement under emergency certificates for certain drug-dependent persons; Sec. 17-194d transferred to Sec. 17a-514 in 1991; P.A. 95-257 replaced variants
of "mentally ill" with "psychiatric disabilities", effective July 1, 1995.
Annotations to former section 17-194d:
Cited. 198 C. 397. Cited. 205 C. 27. Cited. 210 C. 519.
Cited. 21 CA 172.