§ 15:705 — Food and clothing provisions for prisoners; payment of incarceration expenses; payment of medical expenses; imposition of restitution on offenders

A.(1) The sheriffs or jailkeepers shall supply each prisoner daily with wholesome food sufficient in quantity for the proper maintenance of life. They shall provide the prisoners with clothing suited to and sufficient for the season.
(2)(a) The sheriff or the governing authority of each parish may obtain reimbursement from an inmate for certain expenses incurred by reason of the inmate's incarceration in accordance with the requirements of Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.
(b) The sheriff or the governing authority of any parish may collect reimbursement for the costs of room and board from any inmate incarcerated in a parish facility provided such reimbursement is approved by the judge who sentenced the inmate and provided the amount of such reimbursement is a uniform and reasonable amount established by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections by rule.
B. The jailer shall be allowed twelve and one half cents per day for each and every prisoner who is sick in order that the sick prisoners may be taken care of as their situation may require.
C.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection B, the governing authority of each parish is hereby authorized to obtain reimbursement from an inmate for his medical and dental expenses. In addition, each such governing authority may require that copayments be made by inmates upon receiving medical or dental treatment.
(2) The amount of reimbursement shall be the actual costs, or any portion thereof, of the medical or dental expenses incurred.
(3)(a) Each governing authority shall establish written rules for the collection of such expenses from the inmate, including freezing assets in his drawing account and prohibiting withdrawals therefrom until the expenses are paid. The drawing account may be frozen regardless of the source of the assets contained therein. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the governing authority shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding reimbursement by the inmate for medical expenses incurred by the governing authority for the inmate's treatment, including a requirement that the inmate file a claim with his private medical or health care insurer or any public medical assistance program, under which he is covered and from which the inmate may make a claim for payment or reimbursement of the cost of any such medical treatment. This Subsection shall not prohibit the withdrawal of funds for the purpose of payments under the Crime Victims Reparations Act, court costs as authorized by law, and other withdrawals specifically authorized by the sheriff, in that order.
(b) In addition, the governing authority for each parish shall establish written rules requiring that copayments be made by inmates upon receiving medical or dental treatment, which may include a sliding scale based on the inmates' ability to pay. These written rules shall include but not be limited to guidelines for payments for inmate visits to doctors, hospitals, psychiatrists, and dentists, and for receipt of prescription or nonprescription drugs. The procedures for collection of copayments shall follow the procedures for collection of other expenses as established in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.
(4) Any inmate who is transferred to another facility or discharged shall remain liable for any reimbursement authorized under this Subsection.
(5) For purposes of this Subsection "inmate" means any prisoner confined to a parish correctional facility but shall not include inmates sentenced to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are in the custody of the sheriff.
D.(1) The chief law enforcement officer of the law enforcement district may obtain restitution from any inmate incarcerated in a parish facility, including any inmate sentenced to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who is in the custody of the chief law enforcement officer of the district, who damages or destroys property, causes or attempts to cause injury to himself, civilians, other offenders, or department personnel, or who has a pattern of falsely alleging injury or illness with the result that medical expenses are incurred.
(2) The amount of restitution shall be the actual costs or any portion thereof of repairing or replacing the property, or of the medical expenses incurred for treatment of the offender or the injured party and the amount of wages the injured party lost as a result of the injury caused by the offender.
(3) Each law enforcement district may adopt an ordinance authorizing the chief law enforcement officer of the district to collect such restitution from the inmate. The ordinance may provide for the freezing of assets in his drawing account and prohibit withdrawals therefrom until the expenses are paid. The drawing account may be frozen regardless of the source of the assets contained therein. This Subsection shall not prohibit the withdrawal of funds for the purpose of payments under the Crime Victims Reparations Act, court costs as authorized by law, other payments required by the sentencing judge, and other withdrawals specifically authorized by the chief law enforcement officer of the district, in that order.
(4) Any offender who is transferred to another facility or discharged shall remain liable for the restitution authorized under this Subsection.
(5) The assets of an inmate's drawing account shall not be reduced below five dollars.
E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection B or C of this Section, a parish governing authority shall not be liable to pay to a health care provider for health care services provided to a prisoner in an amount greater than the lesser of the actual amount billed by the health care provider, one hundred ten percent of the Medicare rate of compensation, or the health care provider's actual costs, unless the rate of compensation for such health care services is subject to a contractual agreement entered into between the parish governing authority and the health care provider. The provisions of this Subsection shall not be construed to abrogate or nullify a contractual agreement between a parish governing authority and a health care provider for the payment of medical expenses for prisoners which was entered into prior to August 15, 2008. The provisions of this Subsection shall not be construed to require that a parish governing authority pay for health care expenses which are provided by the state's charity hospital system. The rate provided for herein shall be reevaluated by the legislature prior to a rate being established for Fiscal Year 2010-2011.

Legislative History

Acts 1989, No. 402, §1; Acts 1990, No. 75, §1; Acts 1997, No. 626, §1; Acts 1997, No. 665, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1241, §1; Acts 2004, No. 123, §1, eff. June 4, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 730, §1; Acts 2012, No. 109, §1.