| Prisons Act |
(Chapter 247, Section 4)
| Prisons (Lock-ups) Regulations |
| Rg 1 |
| REVISED EDITION 1990 |
| (25th March 1992) |
| [6th January 1939] |
| Citation |
| 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Prisons (Lock-ups) Regulations. |
| Definitions |
2. In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires —
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| General charge and administration of lock-ups |
| Prisoners deemed to be in legal custody |
| 4. Every prisoner confined in a lock-up shall be deemed to be in the legal custody of the Chief Rehabilitation Officer thereof. |
| Condition of cells in lock-ups |
| 5. The cells in lock-ups shall be thoroughly inspected daily, whether occupied or not, to ensure that they are clean and that sanitary arrangements are in a satisfactory condition. The whole lock-up area shall be frequently washed out, and sleeping places and toilets shall be disinfected regularly. |
| Inspection of cells |
| 6. An officer shall be detailed daily by the Chief Rehabilitation Officer to carry out such inspection and to visit cells at least once each night to see that they are secure, to check the prisoners and to ensure that the lock-ups guards are alert at their posts. |
| Meals in lock-ups |
| 7. Such officer shall see that meals are served regularly, that the food supplied is of good quality, that prisoners arriving irregularly are not left fasting for unreasonably long periods, that the occupants of cells are not in possession of unauthorised or dangerous articles and that in bailable cases, release on bail is not unduly delayed. |
| Meal times |
| 8. Meals shall be supplied to prisoners at 6.30 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on the scales in use in prisons. |
| Report of apparent insanity or illness |
| 9. The Chief Rehabilitation Officer or the officer in immediate charge of a lock-up shall without delay report to the medical officer any case of apparent insanity and the illness of any prisoner. |
| Procedure in case of death or dangerous illness |
| 10. The Chief Rehabilitation Officer or the officer in immediate charge of a lock-up shall, upon the dangerous illness or death of any prisoner, give or cause to be given immediate notice thereof to the most accessible known relative of such prisoner. |
| Lock-up occurrence book |
11. A lock-up occurrence book shall be kept in the following form in respect of each lock-up:
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| Change over of officers in charge |
12.—(1) Whenever an officer in immediate charge of a lock-up is relieved, the occurrence book shall be balanced by ruling a red line across the page, and the total of columns 6, 7 and 8 deducted from the total of columns 4 and 5, thus showing the number of prisoners who ought then to be in the lock-up. The relieving officer shall, after checking the prisoners, certify in the occurrence book the number taken over.
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| Visiting book |
| 13. All officers visiting lock-ups for any purpose shall sign in the lock-up visiting book and record therein the number of prisoners present at the time of their visit. |
| Roster of prisoners |
14. A roster of prisoners by race shall be maintained up-to-date either on a black-board provided for the purpose or in the occurrence book and in addition the following details may be recorded:
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| Dangerous, objectionable or drunken prisoners |
| 15. Whenever possible, dangerous, objectionable and drunken prisoners shall not be placed in cells in which well conducted prisoners are confined. Dangerous prisoners associated in serious crime shall be confined in separate cells if possible. Sentries shall be posted, if necessary. |
| Juvenile prisoners |
| 16. Juvenile prisoners shall on no account be mixed with adult prisoners and prisoners arrested on warrants in civil cases who cannot forthwith be removed to civil prison shall not be locked up with prisoners arrested for criminal offences. |
| Female prisoners |
| 17. The arrival of female prisoners shall always be reported to the Director as soon as possible. Female prisoners shall be placed in cells reserved exclusively, for the time being, for female prisoners. The keys of such cells shall be kept on the person of the officer in immediate charge of the lock-up. This officer shall not hand over the key or the prisoner except on the order of the Director when the prisoner is being taken to Court. |
| Cells for female prisoners |
| 18. Cells in which female prisoners are detained shall, if necessary, be screened to ensure reasonable privacy. |
| Clothing |
| 19. A supply of clothing shall be maintained for use by prisoners whose own clothing is in an unsuitable condition or by prisoners whose own clothing is wet, or an exhibit in a case. Such clothing shall be washed and disinfected after use on every occasion. |
| Treatment of prisoners admitted under influence of alcohol |
| 20. Prisoners admitted under the influence of alcohol shall be carefully examined before being placed in cells. If there is any doubt whatever that the prisoner’s condition is not wholly due to alcohol, the prisoner shall be medically examined before being locked up. |
| Prisoners requiring special treatment |
| 21. Prisoners admitted under the influence of alcohol shall have any tight clothing loosened and shall be placed in a position where they will do themselves no harm. Prisoners charged with attempted suicide or admitted in a state of mind where attempted suicide is a possibility, shall be relieved of all items of apparel capable of being used for self strangulation or other methods of self destruction. Dangerous prisoners shall be relieved of any items which may assist a homicidal intention. Lunatics or suspected lunatics shall be relieved of anything capable of harming themselves or others. |
| Examination of prisoners described in regulation 20 |
| 22. Prisoners described in regulation 20 shall be visited frequently and shall be carefully examined at least once in every hour. |
| Unauthorised communication |
| 23. No police officer shall make any unauthorised communication concerning any prisoner to any person whatever. |
| No entry unless accompanied into cells by another police officer |
| 24. No police officer shall enter a prisoner’s cell at night without being accompanied by another police officer except in cases of imperative necessity. |
| No communication with prisoners |
25.—(1) No police officer shall unnecessarily converse with a prisoner, or by word, gesture or demeanour do anything which may tend to irritate a prisoner.
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| No physical force |
| 26. No subordinate police officer or constable shall strike a prisoner unless compelled to do so in self-defence or in defence of another person. |
| Fee or gratuities forbidden |
| 27. No officer shall receive any fee or gratuity on behalf of any prisoner or any visitor to any prisoner, and shall have no money dealings whatever with any prisoner. |
| Information in notices to be displayed |
| 28. Notices, printed in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil, setting forth the facilities which must be afforded to persons in custody as regards communicating with friends or lawyers, the granting of bail, the provision of medical assistance, etc., shall be displayed near the entrance to every lock-up. In all cases in which it is proper or necessary to do so, the contents of this notice, or whatever portions of it are appropriate, must be communicated, in a language which they understand, to all persons detained in custody. If they so desire, educated persons should be afforded an opportunity of reading the notice before being placed in the lock-up. |
| Custody of duplicate keys |
| 29. The duplicate keys of all lock-ups and cells, properly labelled, shall be kept in the safe of the officer-in-charge of the division. |
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