House Bill No. 6789
               House Bill No. 6789

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-26


AN  ACT  CONCERNING  THE  DISPOSITION OF UNCLAIMED
PROPERTY OF INMATES.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section   4-58  of  the  general  statutes  is
repealed and the following is substituted in  lieu
thereof:
    (a)  Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter
859 AND EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN  SUBSECTION  (b)  OF
THIS  SECTION, any unclaimed article of jewelry or
any accumulation of such articles or valuables  in
the  custody  of  the  administrative  head of any
state  institution  shall  be  retained  by   such
administrative  head  for a period of three years,
during which period he shall make every reasonable
effort  to  return each such article to its owner.
At the end of said period such administrative head
may sell or otherwise dispose of such article with
the  approval  of  the  governing  board  of  such
institution.  Any revenue derived from the sale of
any  such  articles  shall  be  credited  to   the
"institutional   general   welfare  fund"  of  the
institution in which they were found and, if  from
any  institution  not having such a fund, shall be
paid to the State Treasurer and  credited  to  the
General Fund of the state.
    (b)   THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  CORRECTION  SHALL
ADOPT   REGULATIONS   IN   ACCORDANCE   WITH   THE
PROVISIONS  OF  CHAPTER 54 TO SET FORTH THE MANNER
IN WHICH THE DEPARTMENT SHALL  SELL  OR  OTHERWISE
DISPOSE OF ANY UNCLAIMED INMATE PROPERTY, CLOTHING
OR JEWELRY AFTER REASONABLE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE
TO  RETURN  THE  SAME  TO  THE RIGHTFUL OWNER. ALL
PROCEEDS FROM ANY SUCH SALE SHALL BE DEPOSITED  IN
THE  GENERAL  FUND  AND  CREDITED  TO THE CRIMINAL
INJURIES COMPENSATION FUND ESTABLISHED BY  SECTION
54-215.

Approved May 6, 1997