facilities. The institutions carry on a pro-
gram of classification, education and voca-
tional training, employment, and the other
segments of rehabilitative treatment.
Chapter 695, Acts of 1967 provided that
all criminals sentenced after June 1, 1967
be committed to the Division of Correction,
formerly the Department of Correctional
Services and authorized the Department to
establish Receiving and Classification Cen-
ters for prisoners. On June 1, 1967, the
Department established a Reception Center
at the Maryland Penitentiary for male in-
mates and a Reception Center at the Mary-
land Correctional Institution for Women —
Jessup, for female inmates. After diagnostic
evaluation and classification, the inmate is
then assigned to one of the institutions of
the Division (Code 1957, 1976 Repl. Vol.,
Art. 27, sees. 689 (g), 690, 691-700 (a),
701-702).
By Chapter 285, Acts of 1963, the Work
Release Law was established (Code 1957,
1976 Repl. Vol., Art. 27, sec. 700A). The
Work Release Program allows prisoners
sentenced to an institution under the juris-
diction of the Division of Correction to leave
actual confinement during necessary and
reasonable hours for the purpose of working
at gainful employment in the State and to
return to the institution at the end of the
work day. Chapter 551, Acts of 1968 ex-
tended this privilege to include attendance
at school, as part of a Work Release Pro-
gram. Recent amendments, among other
things, provide that the Commissioner of
Correction may authorize under certain con-
ditions special leave for the purpose of seek-
ing employment and further, that individuals
or small groups of prisoners may leave con-
finement to participate in special community
programs for rehabilitation; and also provide
for weekend leaves, again, under certain
conditions by Chapter 448 and Chapter 449,
Acts of 1969 (Code 1957, 1976 Repl. Vol.,
Art. 27, sees. 700A and 700C).
The institutions and camps have well-de-
veloped programs of employment. Inmates
are assigned to a wide variety of institutional
maintenance tasks, as well as to the diversi-
fied State Use Industries Program. Oppor-
tunities for the development and reactiva- |
tion of useful and economically profitable
occupational skills are available. The pro-
grams also provide necessary goods and
services to the public agencies eligible to
purchase them. Several of the institutions
operate laundries which serve both the insti-
tutions and other State agencies and
institutions.
Educational activities include academic
instruction on both elementary and secon-
dary school levels, varied opportunities for
advanced and specialized study, including
programmed instruction in the various camp
facilities in preparation of achieving high
school equivalency certificates, and pro-
grams of vocational and on-the-job training.
Professional staffs render medical, psychi-
atric and psychological services in the insti-
tutions. The institutions and camps have
complete programs of religious activities,
and supervised recreational programs are
conducted at all correctional facilities.
By Chapter 696, Acts of 1967, the Gen-
eral Assembly created the position of Jail
Programming and Inspection Officer, whose
duty it is to submit to the Division of Cor-
rection for approval regulations covering
minimum standards for jails and other places
of detention or confinement in the various
counties and Baltimore City. He is charged
with making the annual inspection of these
facilities. He then must submit a report with
his recommendations to the governing body
of the county or U) Hie Mayor and the City
Council of Baltimore showing the results of
his inspection, together with recommenda-
tions for improvement (Code 1957, 1976
Repl. Vol., Art. 27, sec. 704).
Chapter 481, Acts of 1968 provide for
the establishment of Regional Detention
Centers which are facilities operated by one
or more counties for the purpose of deten-
tion and confinement. Chapter 540, Acts of
1968 included these regional detention fa-
cilities as installations under the general
supervision of the Jail Programming and
Inspection Officer (Code 1957, 1976 Repl.
Vol., Art. 27, sees. 704-705).
In October, 1971, the Governor author-
ized the formation of a Community Correc-
tions Task Force within the Maryland Divi- |
