Monitoring of Taldena Centre for Rehabilitation of the Young & Authority of the Commission A group of prisoners had informed the Commission during an inspection carried out at the above premises on 20.05.2013, that two other prisoners were assaulted and detained without providing them with any medical treatment. The Regional Coordinator inspected all cells but had not come across any such assaulted prisoner. When the Jailor was questioned, he too had denied the incident. However, the Regional Coordinator had reported the information to the Superintendent of Taldena prison, over the phone. The Superintendent replying to such inquiry had stated that an assaulted prisoner was produced before him by the prison officer and he had obtained a statement from the detainee and sent him to the Badulla hospital. Then the Regional Coordinator had gone to the hospital and as prison officers who were supposed to guard him were not available, the Coordinator recorded the statement of the detainee. While the statement was being recorded the jailor had returned and had informed the Coordinator that permission cannot be given to obtain a statement from the prisoner without the written approval of a Senior officer of the prison. Following this incident, a problematic situation arose regarding the powers of the Commission and the Head-office was informed of the situation. The Head-office intervened into the matter by calling the Commissioner –General of Prison and making him aware of the situation, but even then permission was not granted to record the statement on that day. Afterwards the Chairman of the Commission summoned the Commissioner-General of Prisons, Chief Jailor of the Badulla prison, and the relevant Jailor. It was observed by the Commission during the meeting that following the above incident the Commissioner-General by his letter dated 26.07.2013 had issued instructions to all superintendents of prisons to assist all investigations carried out by the staff of Human Rights Commission. In addition, it was highlighted that the reason for such a situation was the lack of proper understanding on the powers and authority of the 65