(a) (1) Within fourteen (14) days of the initial incarceration of a person, the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person, the designee of the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person, or the county veteran service officer of the county in which the person is in custody shall verify the veteran status of the person by using data made available from the Veterans Reentry Search Service operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or a similar service.(2) If the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person designates the county veteran service officer to verify the veteran status of the person under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the administrator shall provide the information necessary for the county veteran service officer to conduct the verification.
(1) Within fourteen (14) days of the initial incarceration of a person, the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person, the designee of the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person, or the county veteran service officer of the county in which the person is in custody shall verify the veteran status of the person by using data made available from the Veterans Reentry Search Service operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or a similar service.
(2) If the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person designates the county veteran service officer to verify the veteran status of the person under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the administrator shall provide the information necessary for the county veteran service officer to conduct the verification.
(b) The administrator of a correctional facility with custody of a person identified as a veteran, the designee of the administrator of the correctional facility with custody of the person identified as a veteran, or the county veteran service officer of the county in which the person identified as a veteran is in custody shall by mail, email, or fax send written notice of the person's incarceration to the Department of Veterans Affairs within forty-five (45) days of the person's initial incarceration if:(1) The person is still in custody; and(2) The person's sentence of incarceration is six (6) months or more or the administrator of the correctional facility or his or her designee reasonably believes that the person will remain in custody for six (6) months or more.
(1) The person is still in custody; and
(2) The person's sentence of incarceration is six (6) months or more or the administrator of the correctional facility or his or her designee reasonably believes that the person will remain in custody for six (6) months or more.
(c) Upon the release from custody of a person identified as a veteran who has been incarcerated for at least six (6) months, the administrator of the correctional facility from which the person was released, the designee of the administrator of the correctional facility from which the person was released, or the county veteran service officer of the county in which the person was in custody shall by mail, email, or fax send written notice of the person's release from custody to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(d) The administrator of a correctional facility shall provide reasonable access to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist an inmate who is a veteran in applying for:(1) Federal or state benefits, compensation, or treatment for which the inmate may be eligible; or(2) Treatment through a veterans treatment specialty court program under § 16-101-101 et seq. or another specialty court program authorized by the Supreme Court under § 16-10-139.
(1) Federal or state benefits, compensation, or treatment for which the inmate may be eligible; or
(2) Treatment through a veterans treatment specialty court program under § 16-101-101 et seq. or another specialty court program authorized by the Supreme Court under § 16-10-139.
(e) The administrator of a correctional facility shall make available upon request the results of his or her verification under subdivision (a)(1) of this section to a prosecuting attorney, a managing public defender, a coordinator of a specialty court program authorized by the Supreme Court under § 16-10-139, or the Administrative Office of the Courts.