Section 26605.5 Of Article 1. Duties From California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
26605.5
. (a) The sheriff has the authority, after conferring with a
physician who is neither a county employee nor under a preexisting
contract with the county, to release from a county correctional
facility for transfer to a medical facility or residential care
facility, a prisoner whose physical condition, in the opinion of the
examining physician, is such that he or she is rendered incapable of
causing harm to others upon or after release from custody. Prior to
authorizing the release, however, the sheriff shall first determine
that all of the following conditions exist:
(1) The prisoner, upon diagnosis by the examining physician, is
deemed to be so severely physically incapacitated that he or she
poses no threat to the safety of others.
(2) The examining physician has no reasonable expectation that the
prisoner's physical condition will improve to the extent that he or
she could pose a threat to the safety of others.
(3) The prisoner's medical needs would be better served in a
medical facility or residence other than a county correctional
facility.
(b) Prior to the release of any prisoner pursuant to this section,
the sheriff shall notify the presiding judge of the superior court
of his or her intention to transfer a severely incapacitated prisoner
to a medical facility or residence for the provision of medical care
and other services. This notification shall include:
(1) The prisoner's name.
(2) The offense or offenses for which the prisoner was
incarcerated, if applicable, and the pending charges, if applicable.
(3) The date of sentence, if applicable.
(4) The physician's diagnosis of the prisoner's condition.
(5) The physician's prognosis for the prisoner's recovery.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the
sheriff to refuse to receive and incarcerate a defendant or sentenced
individual who is not in need of immediate medical care or who has a
terminal medical condition.