California · Penal Code

PEN §4020: Whenever the board of health of any city or county, or the board of supervisors of any county, or the county physician of any county of this State, presents, or causes to be presented to the sheriff,

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

A health board or county official may order the sheriff to cut the hair of jail inmates convicted of misdemeanors sentenced longer than 15 days to 1.5 inches for public health protection.

Read the full statutory text
Whenever the board of health of any city or county, or the board of supervisors of any county, or the county physician of any county of this State, presents, or causes to be presented to the sheriff, or other officer having charge of any county jail or prison in any county or city, in this State, a certificate, or order, in writing, to the effect that it is by them, or him, considered necessary for the purpose of protecting the public health, or to prevent the introduction or spreading of disease, or to protect or improve the health of criminals under sentence, that the hair of any criminal or criminals be cut, such sheriff, or other officer, must cut, or cause to be cut, the hair of any such person or persons in his charge convicted of a misdemeanor and sentenced to a longer term of imprisonment than 15 days, to a uniform length of one and one-half inches from the scalp of such person or persons so imprisoned.

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