RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 349 (SB 49) 2018 Regular Session Morrell
Prior law provided that the secretary of the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections may
authorize visits and correspondence under reasonable conditions between inmates and
approved friends, relatives, and other persons.
New law retains prior law and adds that if an inmate sustains bodily injury requiring
admittance to an intensive care unit or trauma center, the warden or other governing authority
of the correctional facility, jail, or other detention facility shall notify the inmate's immediate
family within one hour of the medical decision to transport the inmate to the intensive care
unit or trauma center.
New law further provides that, notwithstanding any provision of prior law, if an inmate
sustains serious bodily injury requiring admittance to an intensive care unit or trauma center,
members of the inmate's immediate family must be granted visitation with the inmate for the
duration of the inmate's admission to the intensive care unit or trauma center unless the
warden or other governing authority of the inmate's correctional facility, jail, or other
detention facility provides written notice, within six hours of the inmate's admission to the
intensive care unit or trauma center, to any immediate family member seeking visitation why
such visitation cannot be granted.
If the inmates admission occurs between the hours of eight p.m. and four a.m. the
correctional or detention facility shall provide the required written notification within twenty-
four hours of the time the serious bodily injury occurred. Visitation may be supervised.
Visitation may be revoked if any immediate family member possesses any item of
contraband during visitation.
New law defines "serious bodily injury" as bodily injury that involves unconsciousness,
extreme physical pain or protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or
impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, or a substantial risk
of death.
New law defines "immediate family" as a spouse, child, parent, stepparent, sibling, step-
sibling, grandchild, or grandparent of the inmate.
Effective upon signature of the governor (May 20, 2018).
(Amends R.S. 15:833(A)(1))