§ 24–708. Confinement of patient.

If the court finds the patient to be a drug user, it may commit him to a hospital designated by the patient or the Mayor and approved by the court, to be confined there for rehabilitation until released in accordance with § 24-709. In the event a patient elects to designate a hospital to which he wishes to be committed, he shall be required to satisfy the court that such hospital has medical, rehabilitation, and security facilities comparable to the institutions designated by the Mayor and, in addition, the cost of such hospitalization shall be borne by the patient. The head of the hospital shall submit written reports within such periods as the court may direct, but no longer than 6 months after the commitment and for successive intervals of time thereafter, and state reasons why the patient has not been released.

(June 24, 1953, 67 Stat. 79, ch. 149, § 9; July 24, 1956, 70 Stat. 611, ch. 676, title I, § 101.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 24-608.

1973 Ed., § 24-608.

Change in Government

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.