Section 17-10-9.1. Voluntary surrender to county jail or correctional institution; release of defendant

   (a) When a defendant who pleads nolo contendere or guilty or is convicted of an offense against the laws of this state other than:

   (1) Treason;

   (2) Murder;

   (3) Rape;

   (4) Aggravated sodomy;

   (5) Armed robbery;

   (6) Aircraft hijacking and hijacking of a motor vehicle;

   (7) Aggravated child molestation;

   (8) Manufacturing, distributing, delivering, dispensing, administering, selling, or possessing with intent to distribute any controlled substance classified under Code Section 16-13-25 as Schedule I or under Code Section 16-13-26 as Schedule II;

   (9) Violating Code Section 16-13-31, relating to trafficking in cocaine or marijuana;

   (10) Kidnapping, arson, or burglary in any degree if the person, at the time such person was charged, has previously been convicted of, was on probation or parole with respect to, or was on bail for kidnapping, arson, aggravated assault, burglary in any degree, or one or more of the offenses listed in paragraphs (1) through (9) of this subsection;

   (11) Child molestation;

   (12) Robbery;

   (13) Aggravated assault; or

   (14) Voluntary manslaughter

is sentenced to a term of confinement in a county jail or a correctional institution operated by or under the jurisdiction and supervision of the Department of Corrections, the sentencing judge may release the defendant pending the defendant's surrendering to a county jail or to a correctional institution designated by the Department of Corrections as authorized in this Code section. The sentencing court may release the defendant on bond or may release the defendant on the defendant's personal recognizance. This Code section shall not be construed to limit the court's authority in prescribing conditions of probation.

(b) Any defendant who has been released on bond and who has complied with all of the conditions of the bond and any other defendant who, in the opinion of the sentencing judge, is deemed worthy of the procedure to surrender voluntarily, may be eligible to participate in the program. However, the sentencing judge shall be the sole and final arbiter concerning eligibility and the defendant shall have no right to appeal such decision.

(c) When a defendant submits a request to the sentencing judge to be allowed to surrender voluntarily to a county jail or a correctional facility, the judge may consider the request and if, taking into the consideration the crime for which the defendant is being sentenced, the history of the defendant, and any other factors which may aid in the decision, the judge determines that the granting of the request will pose no threat to society, the defendant shall be remanded to the supervision of a probation officer by the judge and ordered to surrender voluntarily to a county jail designated by the court or to a correctional institution as thereafter designated by the Department of Corrections. The surrender date shall be a date thereafter specified as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section. The sentence of any defendant who is released pursuant to this Code section shall not begin to run until such person surrenders to the facility designated by the court or by the department, provided that such person will receive credit toward his sentence for time spent in confinement awaiting trial as provided in Code Section 17-10-11.

(d) In the event the defendant is ordered to surrender voluntarily to a county jail, the court shall designate the date on which the defendant shall surrender, which date shall not be more than 120 days after the date of conviction. When the sentencing judge issues an order requiring a defendant to surrender voluntarily to a correctional institution, the Department of Corrections shall authorize the commitment and designate the correctional institution to which the defendant shall report and the date on which the defendant is to report, which date shall not be more than 120 days after the date of conviction. Upon such designation, the department shall notify the supervising probation officer who shall notify the defendant accordingly. Subsistence and transportation expenses en route to the correctional institution shall be borne by the defendant.

(e) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to any defendant convicted of a capital felony.

(f) If the defendant fails to surrender voluntarily as directed and required, the defendant may be charged with the offense of bail jumping pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 16-10-51 or the offense of escape pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of Code Section 16-10-52 and, if convicted of such crimes, shall be punished as provided by law; or may be cited for contempt of court by the sentencing judge and, if convicted of contempt, the defendant shall be punished as provided in Code Section 15-6-8.

(g) The Department of Corrections is authorized and directed to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Code section.

Code 1981, § 17-10-9.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 607, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1625, § 6; Ga. L. 2012, p. 899, § 8-10/HB 1176.