30:6D-4 - Admission to or residence at facility or receipt of service; prohibition of presumption of incompetence, discrimination against or deprivation of constitutional, civil or legal rights - New Jersey Statutes

30:6D-4.  Admission to or residence at facility or receipt of service; prohibition of presumption of incompetence, discrimination against or deprivation of constitutional, civil or legal rights    No developmentally disabled person shall be presumed to be incompetent or shall be discriminated against or shall be deprived of any constitutional, civil or legal right solely by reason of admission to or residence at a facility or solely by reason of receipt of any service for developmentally disabled persons.  No such admission, residence or receipt of services shall modify or vary any constitutional, civil or legal right of such person, including, but not necessarily limited to;

    a.  Register and vote at elections;

     b.  Free exercise of religion;

     c.  Receive and send unopened correspondence and, upon request, to obtain assistance in the writing and reading of such correspondence;

     d.  Private visitations and private telephone conversations without prior notice to the facility during such reasonable hours as may be established by the facility with parents, guardians, representatives of guardian services, relatives, friends, physicians, attorneys, government officials, and any other persons;

    e.  Reasonable opportunities for interaction with members of the opposite sex;

    f.  Confidential handling of personal and medical records.

     L.1977, c. 82, s. 4, eff. May 5, 1977.