(a)
The administrative director of the Division of Industrial Accidents shall formulate procedures for the selection and orderly referral of injured inmates of state penal or correctional institutions who may be benefited by rehabilitation services and retrained for other positions upon release from incarceration. The State Department of Rehabilitation shall cooperate in both designing and monitoring results of rehabilitation programs for the disabled inmates. The primary purpose of this section is to rehabilitate injured inmates in order that they might engage in suitable and gainful employment upon their release.
(b)
The director shall notify the injured inmate of the availability of rehabilitation services in those cases where there is continuing disability of 28 days and beyond. A copy of such notification shall be forwarded to the State Department of Rehabilitation.
(c)
The initiation of a rehabilitation plan shall be the responsibility of the director.
(d)
Upon establishment of a rehabilitation plan, the injured inmate shall cooperate in carrying it out.
(e)
The injured inmate shall receive such medical and vocational rehabilitative services as may be reasonably necessary to restore him to suitable employment.
(f)
The injured inmate’s rehabilitation benefit is an additional benefit and shall not
be converted to or replace any workmen’s compensation benefit available to him.