ENGROSSED

Senate Bill No. 179

(By Senators Love, Mitchell, Hunter, Dawson, Ball and Ross)

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[Introduced January 24, 2000; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section fifteen, article one, chapter twenty-five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to diagnostic and classification divisions of the division of corrections; and removing restrictions and obsolete language concerning the location of the divisions.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section fifteen, article one, chapter twenty-five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1. ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTIONS.

§25-1-15. Diagnostic and classification divisions.

The commissioner of corrections may establish a diagnostic and classification division within Huttonsville correctional center, West Virginia penitentiary at Moundsville and/or the Pruntytown correctional center, formerly known as the West Virginia industrial home for boys at Grafton divisions.

Notwithstanding any provision of the code to the contrary, all persons committed to the custody of the commissioner of the department division of corrections for presentence diagnosis and classification and all persons sentenced to the West Virginia penitentiary custody of the division of corrections shall, upon imposition of such the commitment or sentence, undergo diagnosis and classification. in a diagnostic and classification division located at the Huttonsville correctional center, the West Virginia penitentiary at Moundsville, or the Pruntytown correctional center The diagnostic and classification divisions shall be maximum security facilities: Provided, That the commissioner of the department of corrections shall be authorized to provide, at his option, classification and diagnostic services for female offenders through contract with federal correctional institutions and to provide diagnostic and classification services for youthful
offenders at a youth center operated under the authority of the department of corrections: Provided, however, That nothing contained herein shall operate to conflict with or interfere with predisposition diagnostic procedures for juveniles contained in chapter forty-nine of this code
Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize the establishment of a diagnostic and classification division upon the grounds of the Weston state hospital or in a regional jail operated by the regional jail and prison authority.