There is hereby created the position of Warden of the county
jail, who shall be appointed by and shall be responsible to the County
Commissioners. The Warden shall be responsible for the operation,
control and regulation of the county jail and shall be responsible
for the regulation, care and feeding of all prisoners in the jail
from the time they are committed until they are discharged, released
or withdrawn from the jail pursuant to proper legal authority. He
shall maintain a record of all prisoners committed to the jail and
such other records and accounts as may be required by the court or
the County Commissioners.
The duties of Warden hereunder shall commence upon such date
as may be set by the County Commissioners by resolution. Until the
Warden's duties so commence, his duties hereunder shall be performed
by the Sheriff of Worcester County.
The County Commissioners shall provide the Warden with such
staff, equipment, supplies and other items for the operation of the
jail as said Commissioners may approve in the annual operating budget.
The staff of the jail shall be employed pursuant to the provisions
of the prevailing county employee merit system.
All persons committed to the custody of the Sheriff of Worcester
County, unless otherwise provided by statute or order of court, shall
be kept in the Worcester County Jail under the regulation of the Warden
of the county jail.
Except as may be specifically provided by Public General Law
or by a contract between the State of Maryland and the County Commissioners,
no sentence to the county jail may be for more than six months.
[Added 9-8-1992 by Bill No. 92-15]
(a)Â
Entitlement to medical and dental care. Generally,
prisoners incarcerated in the Worcester County Jail shall be entitled
to necessary and reasonable medical and dental care as required by
state or federal law during incarceration, which shall be provided
at the expense of the prisoner. In cases where the prisoner is unable
to pay for such dental and medical care, the County Commissioners
shall advance funds on behalf of the prisoner directly to the care
provider or other proper recipient to obtain such care. The prisoner
shall, at the time of each advance, be liable to the county for the
advance.
(b)Â
Reasonable medical and dental care. The county
shall be liable to advance payment only for reasonable medical and
dental care, which shall not include any elective or non-medically
required procedure. The County Commissioners may consult with physicians,
dentists or other health-care professionals to determine whether or
not a procedure is elective or non-medically required.
(c)Â
Judgment and collection. Any prisoner requesting
or requiring and receiving such medical or dental care shall be deemed
to have agreed to repay the county for the costs thereof. The county
may require written requests for medical care, which may include acknowledgment
and agreement on the part of the prisoner that the prisoner will be
liable to the county should the county advance payment for such medical
or dental care. Where payment has been made by the county, third-party
payers such as medical insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or other entitlement
programs or insurance contracts or insurance carriers shall be liable
to the county to the extent that they are liable to the prisoner receiving
the care.
(d)Â
Collection. The county shall make every reasonable
effort to collect any amounts due from prisoners hereunder, including
any deductible from insurance, coinsurance amounts or other entitlement
programs and including those items not covered by such insurance or
programs.
(e)Â
Screening and medical histories. The county
shall have the right to obtain medical and dental histories from prisoners
upon their incarceration. Medical and dental histories shall include
information on medical and dental insurance, entitlement programs
or other similar methods of funding.
