As used in KRS 421.610 to 421.690: (1) "Penal institutions" includes a jail, prison, penitentiary, house of correction or other place of penal detention; (2) "State" includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and any territory of the United States; (3) "Witness" means a person who is confined in a penal institution in any state and whose testimony is desired in another state in any criminal proceeding or investigation by a grand jury or in any criminal action before a court.