Except as otherwise provided in this section, the superintendent of any institution used wholly or in part for the care of persons with psychiatric disabilities or the director of the Whiting Forensic Hospital may, under such provisions or agreements as the director deems advisable for psychiatric supervision, permit any patient of the institution under the director's charge temporarily to leave such institution, in charge of his guardian, relatives or friends, or by himself or herself. A person confined to a hospital for psychiatric disabilities under the provisions of section 17a-584 may leave the hospital temporarily as provided under the provisions of section 17a-587. In the case of committed persons, the original order of commitment shall remain in force and effect during absence from the institution either on authorized or unauthorized leave until such patient is officially discharged by the authorities of such institution or such order is superseded by a court of competent jurisdiction. In the case of a patient on authorized leave, if it appears to be for the best interest of the public or for the interest and benefit of such patient, the patient may return or be returned by the patient's guardian, relatives or friends or the patient may be recalled by the authorities of such institution, at any time during such temporary absence and prior to the patient's official discharge. With respect both to patients on authorized and unauthorized leave, state or local police shall, on the request of the authorities of any such institution, assist in the rehospitalization of any patient on temporary leave or of any other patient committed to such institution by a court of competent jurisdiction or any person who is a patient under the provisions of section 17a-502, if, in the opinion of such authorities, the patient's condition warrants such assistance. The expense, if any, of such recall or return shall, in the case of an indigent, be paid by those responsible for the patient's support or, in the case of a pauper, by the state. Leave under this section shall not be available to any person who is under a term of imprisonment or who has not met the requirements of the condition of release set to provide reasonable assurance of such person's appearance in court.

(1949 Rev., S. 2653; 1959, P.A. 365; 1961, P.A. 237; 1963, P.A. 314; 1967, P.A. 261, S. 1; 555, S. 70; P.A. 73-40; 73-616, S. 13; P.A. 75-476, S. 4, 6; P.A. 76-190, S. 10, 12; 76-435, S. 55, 82; P.A. 83-486, S. 3; P.A. 84-294, S. 11; P.A. 85-506, S. 24, 32; P.A. 90-209, S. 18; P.A. 95-257, S. 20, 48, 58; P.A. 18-86, S. 29.)

History: 1959 act added provision for police assistance in rehospitalization; 1961 act substituted “provisions” for “restrictions” and “patients” for “inmates”, and deleted the one-year time limit for such leaves; 1963 act provided that original commitment order remains in effect until official discharge “in the case of committed persons”; 1967 acts included directors of institutions for the drug dependent in provisions of section and struck out “the criminally mentally ill” in provision re construction of provisions; P.A. 73-40 made provisions applicable to directors of security treatment center; P.A. 73-616 substituted Sec. 53a-47 for repealed Sec. 54-37; P.A. 75-476 removed provision forbidding application of section to those against whom criminal proceedings are pending; P.A. 76-190 added provision excluding from applicability of section those imprisoned or who have not met release conditions set to reasonably assure their appearance in court; P.A. 76-435 replaced “security treatment center” with “Whiting Forensic Institute”; P.A. 83-486 replaced provision that a patient hospitalized under the provisions of Sec. 53a-47 may be permitted by the superintendent or keeper to temporarily leave the institution with provision that such a patient may leave the institution temporarily as provided under the provisions of Sec. 53a-47(f); P.A. 84-294 added language re patients on authorized or unauthorized leaves and added provision concerning police assistance for rehospitalization of any patient on temporary leave or any other patient committed to such institution by a court of competent jurisdiction or any person who is a patient under section 17-183; P.A. 85-506 added “Except as otherwise provided in this section”, rephrased provision concerning temporary leaves and replaced references to repealed Sec. 53a-47 with references to Secs. 17-257e and 17-257h; P.A. 90-209 deleted reference to institutions for the care of drug-dependent persons; Sec. 17-198 transferred to Sec. 17a-521 in 1991; P.A. 95-257 replaced “mental illness” and “mentally ill” with variant references to “psychiatric disabilities” and “Whiting Forensic Institute” with “Whiting Forensic Division”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 18-86 deleted reference to “keeper”, replaced “Division” with “Hospital” and made technical changes, effective June 4, 2018.

Annotation to former section 17-198:

Legal presumptions created by commitment entirely removed by discharge of patient as cured. 113 C. 604.