The Department of Corrections is hereby authorized to establish units at one or more institutions for the care and treatment of inmates who are or become in need of acute psychiatric care. The Department shall have the following powers and duties in the operation thereof:
1. The Department shall establish procedures to outline means of identification of inmates who are or become in need of acute psychiatric care and for assignment of such inmates to the units described in this subsection. Prior to assignment there shall be a due process hearing conducted by the Department of Corrections to determine whether the inmate is in need of acute psychiatric care. The inmate shall be entitled to have a staff representative appointed to represent the inmate, if he or she so requests, but shall not have an attorney appointed or paid by the Department to represent the inmate at the administrative hearing; and
2. Once an inmate has been assigned to a unit described in this subsection, treatment and medication may be administered to the inmate as provided in Section 5-204 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Added by Laws 1990, c. 245, § 4, emerg. eff. May 21, 1990. Amended by Laws 2019, c. 41, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws 2021, c. 149, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2021.