CHAPTER 240

An Act to amend and reenact §8§ 18.1-200, 18.1-201 and 18.1-202 of the
Code of Virginia, relating to the commitment of persons convicted of
certain offenses, providing for investigation, examination and reports
on such persons, and providing for probation and release of such
persons.

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: _

1. That §§ 18.1-200, 18.1-201 and 18.1-202 of the Code of Virginia be
amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.1-200. Whenever any court of record or judge thereof, or any
county, municipal, or juvenile and domestic relations court or judge thereof,
in the exercise of sound discretion shall determine that it is necessary for
the protection of the public health or safety or for the promotion of the
public welfare, through the rehabilitation of any person, such court or
judge may, in lieu of imposing any sentence or fine provided by law for
such offenses, commit to the control and supervision of the * Director of the
Department of Welfare and Institutions, for rehabilitation, for an indeter-
minate period of not less than three months nor more than three years
any person who, in such court or before such judge, is convicted in this

tate:

(1) Of being a prostitute, or

(2) Of being a keeper, inmate or frequenter of a bawdy place, or

(3) Of soliciting for immoral purposes, or

(4) Of vagrancy, or

_ (5) Of contributing to the delinquency, neglect or dependency of a
minor under the age of eighteen years.

When a person is tried for any offense enumerated in this section or
is adjudged guilty of such offense, the court may, before fixing punishment,
imposing sentence, or ordering a commitment, direct any probation officer
or agency performing probation services for such court to thoroughly
investigate and report upon the history of the accused and any and all
relevant facts, to the end that the court may be fully advised as to the
appropriate and just sentence to be imposed or commitment to be ordered.

Any person so committed to the * Director may be recommitted by
the committing court or judge upon application of the * Director to a
State institution or to such other institution as may be approved by it as
being suitable for the proper care of such persons, and being equipped to
give medical treatment to such of them as may be diseased and industrial
training to such of them as may be in need thereof.

All such institutions, except State institutions, shall receive from the
State the same fees as are allowed by law to jailers.

During any such period of commitment or recommitment, the com-
mitting court or judge thereof may, upon its own motion or upon applica-
tion of the * Director, reduce or increase such period of commitment.

§ 18.1-201. The * Department of Welfare and Institutions shall
make a careful physical, mental and social examination of every person
committed to it under the provisions of § 18.1-200, and shall investigate
such person’s personal and family history in order that plans for his or
her training, rehabilitation, release and supervision may be adequately
undertaken. The committing court may require the * Department to report
at any time or times, subsequent to the minimum commitment period
prescribed by § 18.1-200, upon the * Department’s observations, findings
and recommendations with respect to any such person.

§ 18.1-202. If the * Director of Welfare and Institutions finds it not
possible or expedient to place such persons as are committed to * ham under
the provisions of § 18.1-200 in the institutions referred to in that section,
the committing court on application of the * Director may place such
persons on probation. The * Director or his authorized agents may at any
time order the release of such persons when satisfied that such release is
conducive to the welfare of such persons and will not be detrimental to
the public health or the public welfare, and may prescribe reasonable terms
or conditions upon which such release is granted. If any person so released
violates the terms or conditions of his or her release, the county, municipal
or Juvenile and domestic relations court exercising jurisdiction in the city
or county wherein such violation occurs may revoke the order of release
and direct his or her apprehension and detention by the proper law en-
forcement officers and his or her return to the * Director, and such court,
on its own motion or on application of the * Director, may recommit such
person to an institution or make such other disposition as may be provided
by law. In no case shall the total period of probation, confinement, super-
vision and reconfinement exceed three years.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.