The Commissioner of Correction shall administer, coordinate and control the operations of the department and shall be responsible for the overall supervision and direction of all institutions, facilities and activities of the department. The commissioner shall establish rules for the administrative practices and custodial and rehabilitative methods of said institutions and facilities in accordance with recognized correctional standards. The commissioner shall establish, develop and maintain noninstitutional, community-based service programs. The commissioner shall be responsible for the supervision of persons released on parole by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The commissioner shall be responsible for establishing disciplinary, diagnostic, classification, treatment, vocational and academic education, research and statistics, training and development services and programs throughout the department. Subject to the provisions of chapter 67, the commissioner shall appoint such professional, technical and other personnel as may be necessary for the efficient operation of the department. The commissioner shall organize and operate interinstitutional programs for the development and training of institution and facility staffs. The commissioner shall provide for the services of such chaplains as are necessary to minister to the needs of the inmates of department institutions and facilities. The commissioner shall, within available appropriations for such purpose, arrange for provision of legal assistance of a civil nature to indigent inmates of department institutions and facilities and legal representation for such inmates before administrative boards where permitted or constitutionally required.

(1967, P.A. 152, S. 5; P.A. 77-24; 77-526, S. 1, 2; 77-614, S. 271, 610; P.A. 80-200, S. 2, 7; P.A. 93-219, S. 9, 14; P.A. 04-234, S. 2, 33; P.A. 13-164, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 77-24 allowed commissioner to appoint designees to act for him; P.A. 77-526 added commissioner's duty to arrange for legal assistance for indigent inmates; P.A. 77-614 deleted reference to consultation with council of correction in establishing rules, effective July 1, 1979; P.A. 80-200 required commissioner to establish, develop and maintain noninstitutional, community-based service programs; P.A. 93-219 deleted responsibility of commissioner to supervise parolees and act as administrator of the interstate compact for parole and probation supervision, reflecting transfer of said responsibilities to board of parole, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 04-234 added provision requiring commissioner to be responsible for the supervision of persons released on parole and to act as administrator of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective June 8, 2004, and replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 13-164 deleted provision requiring commissioner to act as administrator of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision, effective July 1, 2013.

See Secs. 20-14h to 20-14j, inclusive, re administration of medication in day and residential programs and facilities.

The statutory mechanism by which the department imposes sanctions is intended by the legislature to be civil in nature. 168 CA 19.

Commissioner's extremely broad discretion under section must be accommodated with rule that prisoner retains basic constitutional rights; habeas corpus provides only practical access of prisoner to courts. 34 CS 89.