RC officers of all remand prisons and closed prisons, where remandees are detained, stated that these reports are very important. The primary reason for this is that, since the Warrant of Detention does not mention the charge for which the person has been remanded, prison authorities are reliant on the remandee to provide this information. In many cases, a remandee may not be aware of the offence for which they have been charged, or may not provide truthful information to the prison authorities. Prison authorities stated that the failure to have information on the background and history of the prisoner might lead to persons who are members of rival gangs being housed together, which could lead to conflict and violence and disruption of the maintenance of order in prison.27 Furthermore, the history of a remandee impacts whether or not the prison is able to inform the relevant Magistrate Courts and Magistrates visiting the prisons. of any required action regarding a person’s bail. For instance, if a prisoner is not known to have a criminal history etc., the prison could bring the case to the attention of the visiting Magistrate. 3. Notification of imprisonment to next of kin SMR 6828 states that every prisoner should have the right to inform his family immediately about his imprisonment, transfer to another prison or of any illness while in prison. The PO states that inmates are allowed to communicate with their relatives but there is no mention of being provided an opportunity to communicate on arrival at the prison.29 With regard to the prison administration notifying the next of kin, it was brought to the Commission’s notice that this is not done systematically, particularly in the case of remandees. It should be noted that it is the responsibility of the prison administration to notify the families of prisoners about their imprisonment as soon as possible following the admission of a prisoner. This is particularly important considering the psychological condition of a person at the time of imprisonment and the need to connect with family. Since none of the prisons, except WCP, offer telecommunication facilities for prisoners to speak to their families, inmates would not be able to call and notify their family members of the imprisonment themselves30. The fact the Commission was requested by numerous prisoners to inform their families that they were in prison, as they feared their families would assume they were missing, injured or dead, illustrates the delays endured by prisoners before their families are made aware of their imprisonment. Moreover, it was also observed that certain inmates, particularly 27 For a detail discussion on the segregation of prisoners, please refer chapter Accommodation. 28 SMR 2015, r 68, ‘Every prisoner shall have the right and shall be given the ability and means, to inform immediately his/her family, or any other person designated as a contact person, about his/her imprisonment, about his/her transfer to another institution and about any serious illness or injury.’ 29 PO No.16 of 1877, s 71, ‘Every Prisoner shall be allowed….to receive visits from, and to communicate with, his relations and friends and his legal adviser.’ 30 For a detailed discussion of communication methods available in prison, please refer chapter Contact with the Outside World. 40