It was noted that the segregation standards mandated by SMRs and domestic legislation are not strictly being adhered to by the prison administrations, as will be discussed at length in the relevant subsections below. One of the main reasons that segregation is not always possible is due to the severe lack of space, as described by the ASP in charge of industries at WCP who stated: “We don’t have enough space to segregate these people. We need more buildings, more officers. Then we can identify and segregate prisoners according to their personality traits. I’m sure we can even reduce a lot of crimes outside, by doing that.” Reportedly, a contributing factor that prevents segregation is the reported allocation of wards with better facilities to persons in positions of power within society, or those who are known to the officers, or have provided financial inducements, resulting in other wards becoming highly congested. 2.1. Process of assigning accommodation It was noted during staff interviews and prison inspections undertaken by the Commission, that it is the SP or the CJ of the institution, sometimes with the help of the officers of the SM Branch and the Location Branch, that decides on the allocation of wards. Overall, the allocation of wards did not appear to be done by the SP or the CJ alone, even though they made the final decision, as many factors would have to be taken into account and different officers are knowledgeable on different factors. For example, in WCP, factors such as age, the number of on-going cases of a prisoner (to check whether a prisoner qualifies to be categorized as ‘special’), sentence period, disabilities, a prisoner’s social standing etc. are reportedly considered. Generally, the allocation of wards/cells appeared to be the result of a consultative process. 2.2. Men and women SMR 81105 contains the standard regarding the segregation of men and women. The national provision on the segregation of men and women is outlined in Section 177 of the SRs, which states that male prisoners shall be rigorously separated from female prisoners. Section 102 105 SMR 2015, r 81 (1), In a prison for both men and women, the part of the prison set aside for women shall be under the authority of a responsible woman staff member who shall have the custody of the keys of all that part of the prison. 2. No male staff member shall enter the part of the prison set aside for women unless accompanied by a woman staff member. 3. Women prisoners shall be attended and supervised only by women staff members. This does not, however, preclude male staff members, particularly doctors and teachers, from carrying out their professional duties in prisons or parts of prisons set aside for women. 73