When a person is convicted of a crime before a court having criminal jurisdiction punishable by imprisonment, the court, in its discretion, before sentence may, with the consent of the Commissioner, order the person committed on a temporary basis to the custody of the Commissioner for the purpose of assignment to a facility for evaluation. The Commissioner shall return the person to the court within 60 days with a written report and recommendation whether the person should be placed on probation or should be committed. (Added 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 20.)