3. The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette —
(a)
declare any house, building, enclosure or place, or any part thereof, to be a prison for the purposes of this Act for the imprisonment or detention of persons lawfully in custody;
(b)
define which prisons may be used for the custody of particular classes of prisoners;
(c)
declare that any prison ceases to be a prison; and on the publication in the Gazette of the declaration, or from and after any later date specified in the declaration, that prison ceases to be a prison; and
(d)
declare any prison, house, building, enclosure or place, or any part thereof, to be a reformative training centre for the detention of persons sentenced to reformative training.
Appointment of lock-ups at police stations and court houses as places of detention
4.—(1) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint the lock‑ups at any police stations and court houses to be places for the confinement of persons awaiting trial, remanded, or sentenced to any term of imprisonment, not exceeding one month, that may be specified in each case.
(2) A lock-up appointed as a place of confinement under subsection (1) is not to be deemed to be a prison for the purposes of this Act or of the Registration of Criminals Act 1949 and regulations made under section 84 do not apply thereto, but every such lock‑up is deemed to be a prison for the purposes of sections 313 to 332 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
[15/2010]
(3) The Minister may make regulations with regard to lock‑ups appointed under subsection (1) to provide for all or any of the following matters:
(a)
the inspection and management of the lock‑ups and the officers to be in charge thereof;
(b)
the employment of persons confined in such lock‑ups;
(c)
the diets to be supplied to such persons;
(d)
the maintenance of discipline.
Temporary prisons
5.—(1) Whenever it appears to the Commissioner —
(a)
that the number of prisoners in any prison is greater than can be conveniently kept in the prison, and that it is not convenient to transfer the excess number to some other prison; or
(b)
that, by reason of the outbreak of disease within any prison or for any other reason, it is desirable to provide for the temporary shelter and safe custody of any prisoners,
such provision must be made as the Commissioner may, with the approval of the Minister, direct for the shelter and safe custody in temporary prisons of so many of the prisoners as cannot be conveniently or safely kept in the prison.
[1/2014]
(2) Every temporary prison is a prison for the purposes of this Act.
General administration of prisons by Commissioner
6.—(1) Subject to the orders of the Minister, the general charge and administration of prisons and the control and direction of prison officers throughout Singapore is vested in the Commissioner.
[1/2014]
(2) The Commissioner may make such transfers, and direct the employment and distribution, of prison officers as the Commissioner may think fit.
[1/2014]
Administration of prison by Superintendent
7.—(1) Subject to the orders of the Commissioner, the administration of each prison is vested in a Superintendent.
[1/2014]
(2) If the Superintendent of a prison is temporarily absent or temporarily incapacitated, the powers and duties of the Superintendent under this Act or any regulations made under this Act may, during the period of absence or incapacity, be exercised and performed by any prison officer appointed by the Commissioner.