Section 37-4-102. Right of clients to communicate with persons outside facility and to receive visitors; treatment of client correspondence; establishment of regulations governing visitation and telephone usage

   (a) Each client in a facility shall have the right to communicate freely and privately with persons outside the facility and to receive visitors inside the facility.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, each client shall be allowed to receive and send sealed, unopened mail; and no client's incoming or outgoing mail shall be opened, delayed, held, or censored by the facility.

(c) If there are reasonable grounds to believe that incoming mail contains items or substances which may be dangerous to the client or others, the superintendent or regional state hospital administrator may direct reasonable examination of such mail and, after examination, may regulate the disposition of such items or substances therein found. All writings must be presented to the client within 24 hours of inspection.

(d) The superintendent or regional state hospital administrator may apply to the court for a temporary order to restrict outgoing mail. If the court determines that probable cause exists that such mail is dangerous to the client or others, the court may order such mail temporarily restricted, provided that a full and fair hearing shall be held within five days after the issuance of such temporary order to determine whether or not an order of restriction for an extended time shall issue. In no event shall mail be restricted pursuant to such temporary order for more than five days after the date of the temporary order. A full and fair hearing shall be held after the issuance of the temporary order. If, at such hearing, the client's outgoing mail is determined to be dangerous to the patient or others, the court may order such mail restricted for an extended period not to exceed 30 days. Restrictions for extended periods may be renewed for additional periods not to exceed 30 days each, provided that no such restriction shall be renewed except upon a renewed finding, at another full and fair hearing for each such renewal, that such mail is dangerous to the client or others.

(e) If an injunction against the sending of mail by a client is issued by a court, the superintendent or regional state hospital administrator shall restrict outgoing mail as provided by the order of the court.

(f) No restrictions of either incoming or outgoing mail under subsection (c) or (d) of this Code section shall exceed a period of five days, notwithstanding the authority to restrict such mail for longer periods, provided that such restrictions may be continued as necessary for periods not to exceed five days each upon determination by the superintendent or regional state hospital administrator, prior to each continuation, that such mail continues to be dangerous to the client or others; provided, further, that, in the case of outgoing mail, such continuation periods in the aggregate shall not exceed the restriction period authorized in the court order.

(g) Correspondence of the client with his attorney shall not be restricted in any manner under this Code section. Correspondence of the client with public officials shall not be restricted in any manner under subsection (c) of this Code section.

(h) Each time a client's incoming mail is ordered examined by the superintendent or regional state hospital administrator and each time a client's outgoing mail is ordered examined by a temporary court order, written notice of such order and notice of a right to a full and fair hearing within five days after such temporary court order shall be served on the client and his representatives as provided in Code Section 37-4-107.

(i) The circumstances surrounding the examination of any mail under subsection (c), (d), (e), or (f) of this Code section shall be recorded on the client's clinical record.

(j) The superintendent or regional state hospital administrator is authorized to establish reasonable regulations governing visitors, visiting hours, and the use of telephones by clients.

Code 1933, § 88-2503.7, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 1826, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1324, § 1-19.