148-22. Treatment programs.

(a) The general policies, rules and regulations of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety shall provide for humane treatment of prisoners and for programs to effect their correction and return to the community as promptly as practicable. Visits and correspondence between prisoners and approved friends shall be authorized under reasonable conditions, and family members shall be permitted and encouraged to maintain close contact with the prisoners unless such contacts prove to be hurtful. Casework, counseling, and psychotherapy services provided to prisoners may be extended to include members of the prisoner's family if practicable and necessary to achieve the purposes of such programs. Education, library, recreation, and vocational training programs shall be developed so as to coordinate with corresponding services and opportunities which will be available to the prisoner when he is released. Programs may be established for the treatment and training of mentally retarded prisoners and other special groups. These programs may be operated in segregated sections of facilities housing other prisoners or in separate facilities.

(b) The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety may cooperate with and seek the cooperation of public and private agencies, institutions, officials, and individuals in the development and conduct of programs designed to give persons committed to the Division opportunities for physical, mental and moral improvement. The Division may enter into agreements with other agencies of federal, State or local government and with private agencies to promote the most effective use of available resources.

Specifically the Secretary of Public Safety may enter into contracts or agreements with appropriate public or private agencies offering needed services including health, mental health, mental retardation, substance abuse, rehabilitative or training services for such inmates of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety as the Secretary may deem eligible. These agencies shall be reimbursed from applicable appropriations to the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety for services rendered at a rate not to exceed that which such agencies normally receive for serving their regular clients.

The Secretary may contract for the housing of work-release inmates at county jails and local confinement facilities. Inmates may be placed in the care of such agencies but shall remain the responsibility of the Division and shall be subject to the complete supervision of the Division. The Division may reimburse such agencies for the support of such inmates at a rate not in excess of the average daily cost of inmate care in the corrections unit to which the inmate would otherwise be assigned.