§ 12-27-114 - Inmates in county jails -- Reimbursement of county -- Medical care. - Arkansas Statutes

12-27-114. Inmates in county jails -- Reimbursement of county -- Medical care.

(a) (1) (A) (i) In the event the Department of Correction cannot accept inmates from county jails due to insufficient bed space, the Department of Correction shall reimburse the counties from the County Jail Reimbursement Fund at rates determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, after consultation with the Division of Legislative Audit and the Department of Correction and upon approval by the Governor, until the appropriation and funding provided for that purpose are exhausted.

(ii) The reimbursement rate shall include the county's cost of transporting the inmates to the Department of Correction.

(B) (i) Reimbursement shall begin on the date of sentencing if the judgment and commitment order is received by the Department of Correction not later than twenty-one (21) days from the sentencing date.

(ii) If the judgment and commitment order is received by the Department of Correction twenty-two (22) or more days after the sentencing date, reimbursement shall begin on the date the Department of Correction receives the judgment and commitment order.

(2) (A) In the event the Department of Community Correction cannot accept inmates from county jails due to insufficient bed space or shall have an inmate confined in a county jail under any prerelease program, the Department of Community Correction shall reimburse the counties from the fund at rates determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, after consultation with the division and the Department of Correction, and upon approval by the Governor, until the appropriation and funding provided for that purpose are exhausted.

(B) (i) Reimbursement shall begin on either the date of sentencing or the date of placement on probation accompanied with incarceration in the Department of Community Correction if the judgment and commitment order or the judgment and disposition order, whichever is applicable, is received by the Department of Community Correction not later than twenty-one (21) days from either the date of sentencing or the date of placement on probation accompanied with incarceration in the Department of Community Correction.

(ii) If the judgment and commitment order or the judgment and disposition order, whichever is applicable, is received by the Department of Community Correction twenty-two (22) or more days after the date of sentencing or the date of placement on probation accompanied with incarceration in the Department of Community Correction, reimbursement shall begin on the date the Department of Community Correction receives either the judgment and commitment order or the judgment and disposition order, whichever is applicable.

(b) (1) (A) In the first week of each month, the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction shall prepare an invoice for each inmate received from a county during the previous month.

(B) The invoice shall reflect the number of days an inmate was in the county jail in an awaiting-bed-space status.

(2) (A) The Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction shall verify and forward the invoices to the applicable county sheriff to certify the actual number of days the state inmates were physically housed in the county jail.

(B) (i) Upon written request of a county judge, county treasurer, or county sheriff, the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction shall provide to the county official making the request of a written report summarizing the year-to-date county jail reimbursement invoices prepared and forwarded for verification by the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction and payment from the fund.

(ii) In addition, the report shall include a summary of invoices returned by each county for payment for previous months within the fiscal year, the amounts paid, and any balances owed.

(3) The certified invoices shall then be returned to the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction for payment from the fund.

(4) The county sheriff shall maintain documentation for three (3) calendar years to confirm the number of days each inmate was housed in the county jail.

(5) The documentation maintained by the county sheriff is subject to review by the division.

(c) (1) The Board of Corrections shall adopt regulations by which the Department of Correction or the Department of Community Correction may reimburse any county, which is required to retain an inmate awaiting delivery to the custody of either the Department of Correction or the Department of Community Correction for more than thirty (30) days, for the actual costs paid for any emergency medical care for physical injury or illness of the inmate retained under this section if the injury or illness is directly related to the incarceration and the county is required by law to provide the care for inmates in the jail.

(2) The Director of the Department of Correction or his or her designee or the Director of the Department of Community Correction or his or her designee may accept custody of any inmate as soon as possible upon request of the county upon determining that the inmate is required to have extended medical care.