As part of the entrance procedure, prisoners are queried whether they were assaulted by the police during arrest, and if they wish to take legal action. If the prisoner so desires, details of the assault and the alleged perpetrators would be forwarded to the Superintendent of the relevant police station. However, such processes do not necessarily result in the perpetrators being held accountable, since it cannot be confirmed whether any resultant action will be taken nor is the prisoner provided with the means to follow up on their complaint. Prisoners are photographed as part of the registration, often with their shirt removed, and any visible marks of injury are marked, which places a timestamp on the injuries. However, in many prisons, registration may only be conducted on the day after the admission, especially if the prisoner was admitted in the evening. Thus, there may be no timestamp of a prisoner’s injuries prior to their admission to prison, which would make it difficult to distinguish injuries acquired after their entrance to the prison. Prisoners are required to undergo a comprehensive medical screening to detect any illnesses, but it was found that this is not often conducted due to the lack of medical equipment and technological resources to conduct screening tests. Prisoners, at most, would simply undergo a basic medical examination by a doctor the following admission to prison. A comprehensive examination is necessary to detect any serious illnesses and particularly to identify any drug dependency, withdrawal symptoms or suicidal tendencies amongst new entrants. The Commission was informed that the body search of any inmate entering the prison is mandatory to prevent contraband from being smuggled inside. However, several complaints were received by the Commission alleging searches are carried out in a derogatory manner without respect for the privacy and dignity of an individual. This highlighted the urgent need for new technology to be used to undertake body searches efficiently, without causing indignities or distress to an inmate. In this regard, although the Commission observed body scanners in some prisons, it was found that most were in need of repair and were also not sophisticated enough to detect different kinds of contraband. Further, electronic systems currently in place at some prisons are not operational, either due to a lack of trained staff to operate them or insufficient/irregular maintenance. A standard orientation programme on the rules and regulations of daily life in prison, the list of prison offences and resultant sanctions, internal grievance mechanism, etc., is required to be conducted for new entrants, but the Commission found it was not done in all prisons. Certain prisons offer varying amounts of information to new prisoners, via an oral presentation, but this is available only in Sinhala. The Commission received information from prisoners in a number of prisons that prisoners are subjected to physical assault upon entry, usually referred to as the ‘welcome slap’ depending on the offence for which they have been imprisoned. Drug and sex offenders and reconvicted prisoners in particular reported being subjected to such torture. v