Title 8. State and Local Correctional System -- Generally — Subtitle 6. Interstate Corrections Compact

As used in this Compact, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Incarcerated individual” means a male or female offender who is committed to, under sentence to, or confined in a penal or correctional institution.

“Institution” means any penal or correctional facility, including but not limited to a facility for the mentally ill or mentally defective, in which incarcerated individuals may lawfully be confined.

“Receiving state” means a state party to this Compact to which an incarcerated individual is sent for confinement other than a state in which conviction or court commitment was had.

“Sending state” means a state party to this Compact in which conviction or court commitment was had.

“State” means a state of the United States, the United States of America, a territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Each party state may make one or more contracts with any one or more of the other party states for the confinement of incarcerated individuals on behalf of a sending state in institutions situated within receiving states. Any such contract shall provide for:

The terms and provisions of this Compact shall be a part of any contract entered into by the authority of or pursuant thereto, and nothing in any such contract shall be inconsistent therewith.

Whenever the duly constituted authorities in a state party to this Compact, and which has entered into a contract pursuant to § 8–604 of this subtitle, shall decide that confinement in, or transfer of an incarcerated individual to, an institution within the territory of another party state is necessary or desirable in order to provide adequate quarters and care or an appropriate program of rehabilitation or treatment, the officials may direct that the confinement be within an institution within the territory of the other party state, the receiving state to act in that regard solely as agent for the sending state.

The appropriate officials of any state party to this Compact shall have access, at all reasonable times, to any institution in which it has a contractual right to confine incarcerated individuals for the purpose of inspecting the facilities thereof and visiting such of its incarcerated individuals as may be confined in the institution.

Incarcerated individuals confined in an institution pursuant to the terms of this Compact shall at all times be subject to the jurisdiction of the sending state and may at any time be removed therefrom for transfer to a prison or other institution within the sending state, for transfer to another institution in which the sending state may have a contractual or other right to confine incarcerated individuals, for release on probation or parole, for discharge, or for any other purpose permitted by the laws of the sending state. The sending state shall continue to be obligated to such payments as may be required pursuant to the terms of any contract entered into under the terms of § 8–604 of this subtitle.

Each receiving state shall provide regular reports to each sending state on the incarcerated individuals of that sending state in institutions pursuant to this Compact including a conduct record of each incarcerated individual and certify the record to the official designated by the sending state, in order that each incarcerated individual may have official review of the incarcerated individual’s record in determining and altering the disposition of the incarcerated individual in accordance with the law which may obtain in the sending state and in order that the same may be a source of information for the sending state.

All incarcerated individuals who may be confined in an institution pursuant to the provisions of this Compact shall be treated in a reasonable and humane manner and shall be treated equally with such similar incarcerated individuals of the receiving state as may be confined in the same institution. The fact of confinement in a receiving state shall not deprive any incarcerated individual so confined of any legal rights which the incarcerated individual would have had if confined in an appropriate institution of the sending state.

Any hearing or hearings to which an incarcerated individual confined pursuant to this Compact may be entitled by the laws of the sending state may be had before the appropriate authorities of the sending state, or of the receiving state if authorized by the sending state. The receiving state shall provide adequate facilities for such hearings as may be conducted by the appropriate officials of a sending state. In the event such hearing or hearings are had before officials of the receiving state, the governing law shall be that of the sending state and a record of the hearing or hearings as prescribed by the sending state shall be made. The record, together with any recommendations of the hearing officials, shall be transmitted to the official or officials before whom the hearing would have been had if it had taken place in the sending state. In any and all proceedings had pursuant to the provisions of this section, the officials of the receiving state shall act solely as agents of the sending state and no final determination shall be made in any matter except by the appropriate officials of the sending state.

Any incarcerated individual confined pursuant to this Compact shall be released within the territory of the sending state unless the incarcerated individual, and the sending and receiving states, shall agree upon release in some other place. The sending state shall bear the cost of such return to its territory.

Any incarcerated individual confined pursuant to the terms of this Compact shall have any and all rights to participate in and derive any benefits or incur or be relieved of any obligations or have such obligations modified or the incarcerated individual’s status changed on account of any action or proceeding in which the incarcerated individual could have participated if confined in any appropriate institution of the sending state located within such state.

The parent, guardian, trustee, or other person or persons entitled under the laws of the sending state to act for, advise, or otherwise function with respect to any incarcerated individual shall not be deprived of or restricted in the exercise of any power in respect of any incarcerated individual confined pursuant to the terms of this Compact.

Any decision of the sending state in respect of any matter over which it retains jurisdiction pursuant to this Compact shall be conclusive upon and not reviewable within the receiving state, but if at the time the sending state seeks to remove an incarcerated individual from an institution in the receiving state there is pending against the incarcerated individual within such state any criminal charge or if the incarcerated individual is formally accused of having committed within such state a criminal offense, the incarcerated individual shall not be returned without the consent of the receiving state until discharged from prosecution or other form of proceeding, imprisonment, or detention for such offense. The duly accredited officers of the sending state shall be permitted to transport incarcerated individuals pursuant to this Compact through any and all states party to this Compact without interference.

An incarcerated individual who escapes from an institution in which the incarcerated individual is confined pursuant to this Compact shall be deemed a fugitive from the sending state and from the state in which the institution is situated. In the case of an escape to a jurisdiction other than the sending or receiving state, the responsibility for institution of extradition or rendition proceedings shall be that of the sending state, but nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent or affect the activities of officers and agencies of any jurisdiction directed toward the apprehension and return of an escapee.