Probation of Offenders Rules - Singapore Statutes Online

Probation of Offenders Act

(CHAPTER 252, Section 13(1))

Probation of Offenders Rules

R 1

G.N. No. S 43/1976

REVISED EDITION 1990

(25th March 1992)

[5th March 1976]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Probation of Offenders Rules.

Duties of Chief Probation Officer

2. The duties of the Chief Probation Officer shall be as follows:

(a)	to be responsible to the Minister, or such other person as the Minister may from time to time appoint, for the administration of the probation service;
(b)	to assign probation officers, in accordance with the direction of a court, to prepare pre-sentence reports according to the guidelines set out in Form P.O. 1 in the Schedule on any person found guilty of an offence;
(c)	to maintain a register of all volunteer probation officers appointed under section 3(2) of the Act;
(d)	to maintain case-records and statistics of the work undertaken by probation officers;
(e)	to submit in the month of January of each year to the Minister a return of the persons dealt with during the preceding year; and
(f)	to perform such other duties as may be required to be performed by him under the Act, or by the Minister or other person appointed by the Minister.

Probation Committee

3. The Probation Committee shall consist of the following persons:

(a)	the Chief Justice, or his representative;
(b)	the Chief Probation Officer;
(c)	the Senior District Judge;
(d)	3 Magistrates to be selected by the Senior District Judge;
(e)	the Magistrate of the Juvenile Court;
(f)	two advisers to the Juvenile Court to be selected by the panel of advisers, subject to the approval of the Minister; and
(g)	5 other persons to be appointed by the Minister.

Male and female members

4. There shall be male and female members in the Probation Committee.

Secretary to Committee

5. The Chief Probation Officer shall act as secretary to the Probation Committee.

Chairman of Committee

6. The Probation Committee shall appoint one of its members to act as chairman.

Absence of chairman

7. If the chairman is absent from any meeting of the Probation Committee at the time appointed for the holding of the meeting, the members present shall elect one of their members to act as chairman at the meeting.

Meetings of Probation Committee

8. Subject to these Rules, the Probation Committee shall meet at such times and place and shall make such arrangements as to the transaction and management of its business as it thinks proper.

Quorum

9. No business shall be transacted at any such meeting unless two or more members of the Probation Committee are present.

Voting

10. Every question at a meeting of the Probation Committee shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting on that question.

Chairman’s casting vote

11. In the event of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a casting vote.

Saving

12. The proceedings of the Probation Committee shall not be invalidated by reason of any vacancy or vacancies amongst its members or any defect in the mode of appointment of any of its members.

Case committees

13. The Probation Committee shall appoint from among its members one or more case committees to deal with persons placed on probation.

Convenor of case committees

14. The Chief Probation Officer shall act as convenor of the case committee or committees.

Duties of case committee

15. A case committee shall —

(a)	receive and consider written and oral reports from probation officers and volunteer probation officers on the progress of each of the cases under their supervision;
(b)	afford such help and advice to probation officers and volunteer probation officers in performing their duties; and
(c)	direct, where necessary, any information furnished to the committee to be given to the court.

Reports by volunteer probation officers

16. Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of these Rules any report by a volunteer probation officer may be presented to the case committee or to the court by a probation officer on behalf of the volunteer probation officer who submitted the report.

Annual reports of case committees

17. A case committee shall be required to furnish an annual report to the Probation Committee.

Presentence report

18. A probation officer shall, in accordance with the directions of a court, prepare a pre-sentence report according to the guidelines set out in Form P.O. 1 in the Schedule on any person found guilty of an offence.

Medical, psychiatric or psychological reports

19. Where a court requires a pre-sentence report to be accompanied by a medical, psychiatric or psychological report on the person to whom the pre-sentence report relates, the probation officer shall obtain the medical, psychiatric or psychological report and forward it to the court with the pre-sentence report.

Probation officer to have access to medical, etc., reports

20. In the preparation of pre-sentence reports the probation officer shall have access to and take due note of the contents of any medical, psychiatric or psychological report.

Supervision

21. Subject to the provisions in the probation order, a probation officer or volunteer probation officer who undertakes the supervision of any probationer shall —

(a)

ensure that the probationer understands —

(i)	the effect of the order placing him under his supervision; and
(ii)	the court’s power to amend or discharge the order;

(b)

keep in close touch with the probationer, and unless there is good reason for not doing so, visit his residence from time to time and require him to report at stated intervals:

Provided that the number of meetings for the first month of probation shall be not fewer than once a week;

(c)

where appropriate, in respect of a probationer, make use of any statutory or voluntary agency which might contribute to the probationer’s welfare and take advantage of any available social, recreational, religious or educational facilities suited to the probationer’s age, ability and temperament; and

(d)

where appropriate, endeavour to ensure that a probationer is in suitable and regular employment.

Case-records

22. A probation officer or volunteer probation officer shall maintain case-records on each case placed under his supervision and shall make entries of each case without delay.

Keeping of case-records

23. Case-records of probationers shall be filed at the office of the Chief Probation Officer.

Dress rule

24. A probation officer or volunteer probation officer shall not wear any uniform or badge distinctive of his office.

Forms

25. The forms to be used under the Act shall be in the form set out in Forms P.O. 1 to P.O. 8 in the Schedule.

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