(1) "State" means a state in the United States, the United States of America, a territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

(2) "Sending state" means a state which is party to this compact in which conviction or commitment was had except if confinement be in another state, pursuant to the Interstate Corrections Compact, in which event the sending state shall be determined by contract between the parties of the Interstate Corrections Compact agreement;

(3) "Receiving state" means a state which is party to this compact to which an inmate is sent for furlough;

(4) "Institution" means a penal or correctional facility, including all those facilities normally used by adult correctional agencies for the care and custody of inmates whether or not such facilities are owned or operated by the agencies;

(5) "Relative" means spouse, child (including stepchild, adopted child, or foster child), parents (including stepparents, adoptive parents, or foster parents), brothers, sisters, and grandparents;

(6) "Interstate furlough" means any out-of-state leave of an inmate for a designated period in accordance with the requirements established by the appropriate officials of the sending state;

(7) "Appropriate official" means a person designated by the sending state to grant furloughs or by the receiving state to accept or reject furloughs pursuant to this compact;

(8) "Authorized person" means a person designated by law or appointment for purposes of escorting, transferring, or retaining a furloughed inmate;

(9) "Medical emergency" means any illness, injury, incapacity, or condition, physical or mental, of such a nature and gravity that timely and immediate treatment of and attention to the illness is required to prevent permanent injury, substantial harm, or death, and which cannot be adequately treated or attended to, in a timely manner, by the sending state;

(10) "Escorted interstate furlough" means the transference of an inmate in emergency situations, who does not meet the furlough requirements of the sending state to a state which is party to the compact under escort or guard of an authorized person of the sending state;

(11) "Escapee" means an inmate who is on interstate furlough, pursuant to this compact, and fails to return at the prescribed time to the sending state or becomes a known absconder during the period of his furlough; and

(12) "Violator" means an inmate who is on interstate furlough in the receiving state, pursuant to this compact, and fails to abide by the conditions of the furlough as established by the sending state.