into prison by consulting the Intelligence and Security Unit as they are adequately trained in this regard. According to the interviews of prison staff, the then CGP reportedly issued verbal orders regarding the procedure to be followed when conducting body searches. As mentioned by prisoners, the usual procedure when conducting a body search is that the Prison Police would run their hand over the prisoner’s chest to check if the pulse rate is increasing based on which if the officer suspects the prisoner of possessing contraband, the prisoner would be subjected to a thorough body search and a body cavity search if necessary. According to inmates, there are many problems with the procedure followed when conducting a body search and the methods used in conducting a body search vary from prison to prison, due to the lack of a standardized procedure. It was observed that every prison has a separate room at the entrance for the purpose of conducting the body search. At times, prisoners are taken inside one by one to be searched but there are instances when the inmates have stated that a few or all prisoners are taken inside to be searched at the same time. Many stated they were asked to strip in front of other inmates to be checked, as expressed by a convicted male prisoner in KRP who mentioned that, “In those searches, they make us remove all clothes we are wearing”. A remandee in ACP also stated they are instructed to strip in front of other prisoners to be searched when they return to the prison from court. 6.2. The use of body scanners It was observed that certain prisons, such as PCP, MCP, NRP and CRP have body scanners, while others conduct manual body searches. Even prisons which have body scanners may not always use them due to a number of reasons. At PCP it was not being used due to technical defects, resulting in inmates still being subjected to manual body search. An inmate of PCP stated that: “If they suspect us of bringing any contraband inside the prison, they can always use the scanner, which detects anything, but first they use some other ways to check. They check the rectum (we have been asked to remove our clothes and bend and show the rectum) .... I promise on my almighty that happens here. They could have used the scanner in the first place but they don’t. There’s a lot happening at that gate; we can’t refuse (the orders to defecate) unless we want to get ourselves beaten or hung on the line by handcuffs. It’s conducted by the ‘Bandha Police’ [Prison Police].” During inspections at PCP, the Commission observed that only prisoners who were suspected of bringing contraband are scanned and sometimes nobody is scanned. The officers mentioned that usually about four people are scanned per day and the kind of contraband that is found includes heroin, mobile phones, cash and tobacco. They further mentioned that they maintain records of every prisoner who is searched by the machine as well as the contraband that is seized. The SP of PCP further informed the Commission that he has notified the Prison Headquarters regarding the defective body scanner. The Commission observed in CRP that prisoners were checked using the body scanner only if the officers suspected the prisoner was carrying contraband. Moreover, the Commission 51