maintained in the Record Book. These forms are titled; ‘Sentence Remission and Discharge
Particulars’, ‘Discharge Date’, ‘Occurrences’63, ‘Record of Employment in Prison’, ‘Record of
Action Relating to Charitable Allowances, Assistance to Family and Aid on Discharge’64,
’Record of Application’, ‘Record of Medical Occurrences and Special Recommendations’65,
‘Special Remarks’, ’Record of Letters of Special Importance and Petitions’, ‘Record of Prison
Offences and Punishments’, ‘Record of Visits’, ‘Transfers’ and ‘Prisoner Pay Sheet’.
Under ‘Special Remarks’ in the Prisoner’s Record Book, remarks relating to ‘mental
peculiarities and physical disabilities’, ‘commendable or reprehensive conduct of special
note’, ‘propensity to violence or escape’ and ‘any information of importance relating to the
prisoner and his family that will be useful in regard to his treatment in prison’ will be
entered. The record of visits for instance is used to find the patterns of the number of visits
a prisoner receives while he is in prison. If the prisoner does not receive any visits for six
months, the prison administration is obliged to inquire to find out whether such prisoner is
not receiving family visits due to his family living far away from the prison. In such instances,
action is taken to transfer the prisoner to the nearest prison to his family’s residence for two
weeks generally every six months. The Commission noted a number of prisoners who had
been transferred for this purpose66.
According to Section 36067 of the DSO, whenever a prisoner is received directly from court
with a sentence of two years or more, Form Prisons 9368 should be sent to the Magistrate
who tried the case to fill Paragraph 3 and then to the Superintendent of Police in the District
in which the crime was committed to fill Paragraph 4. Thereafter, the form must be returned
to the SP of Prisons. The completed filled form must be then included in the prisoner’s record.
However, when inquired from the RC Branch at WCP, the officers were unaware of the
existence of such a form. The purpose of the form was observed to be the identification of
criminal record history of the prisoner and to confirm whether the prisoner is a second time
offender.
8.2.
Transfer of prisoners
Section 39 of the DSO provides that the Jailor must maintain a ‘Prisoners’ Location Book’,
which includes the registration number, location and the dates which the prisoner was
removed to another part of the prison or transferred or discharged from prison.
63
Reasons for transfer, serious accidents to prisoners etc., including reference to relevant papers are recorded in
the form ‘Occurrences’
64
Details about scholarships given to children of prisoners who have a low income, financial support provided to
families of prisoners as well as support given to prisoners upon release by providing equipment to continue any skill
acquired inside the prison are recorded in this form. For a detailed discussion, please refer chapter Rehabilitation of
Prisoners.
65
Medical transfers, clinic and/or hospital treatment recommendations regarding diet, labour, special medical issues
and any other information of note are recorded in the form ‘Record of Medical Occurrences and Special
Recommendations’.
66
For a detailed discussion, please refer chapter Contact with the Outside World.
67
DSO 1956, s 360.
68
Information about the past convictions of the prisoner is mentioned in the Prison Form 93.
59