Generally
8. Control and duties of officers of prisons.—All officers of a prison shall
obey the directions of the Superintendent; all officers subordinate to the Jailor shall
perform such duties as may be imposed on them by the Jailor with the sanction of the
Superintendent or be prescribed by rules under section 59.
9. Officers not to have business dealings with prisoners.—No officer of a
prison shall sell or let, nor shall any person in trust for or employed by him sell or let,
or derive any benefit from selling or letting, any article to any prisoner or have any
money or other business dealings directly or indirectly with any prisoner.
10. Officers not to be interested in prison-contracts.—No officer of a
prison shall, nor shall any person in trust for or employed by him, have any interest,
direct or indirect, in any contract for the supply of the prison nor shall he derive any
benefit, directly, or indirectly, from the sale or purchase of any article on behalf of the
prison or belonging to a prisoner.
Superintendent
11. Superintendent. —(1) Subject to the orders of the Inspector- General, the
Superintendent shall manage the prison in all matters relating to discipline, labour,
expenditure, punishment and control.
(2) Subject to such general or special directions as may be given by the State
Government, the Superintendent of a prison other than a central prison or a prison
situated in a Presidency Town shall obey all orders not inconsistent with this Act or
any rule there under which may be given respecting the prison by the District
Magistrate, and shall report to the Inspector-General all such orders and the action
taken thereon.
12. Records to be kept by Superintendent .—The Superintendent shall
keep, or cause to be kept, the following records :—
(1) a register of prisoners admitted;
(2) a book showing when each prisoner is to be released;
(3) a punishment-book for the entry of the punishments inflicted on prisoners for
prison-offences;
(4) a visitors book for the entry of any observation made by the visitors touching
any matters connected with the administration of the prison;
(5) a record of the money and other articles taken from prisoners;
and all such other records as may be prescribed by rules under section 59
Medical Officer
13. Duties of Medical Officer.—Subject to the control of the Superintendent,
the Medical Officer shall have charge of the sanitary administration of the prison, and
shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by rules made by the State
Government under section 59.
14. Medical Officer to report in certain cases.—Whenever the Medical
Officer has reason to believe that the mind of a prisoner is, or is likely to be,
injuriously affected by the discipline or treatment to which he is subjected, the
Medical Officer shall report the case in writing to the Superintendent, together with
such observations as he may think proper.
This report, with the orders of the Superintendent thereon, shall forthwith be
sent to the Inspector-General for information.
15. Report on death of prisoner.— On the death of any prisoner, the
Medical Officer shall forthwith record in a register the following particulars, so far as
they can be ascertained, namely —
(1) the day on which the deceased first complained of illness or was observed
to be ill,
(2) the labour, if any, on which he was engaged on that day,
(3) the scale of his diet on that day,
(4) the day on which he was admitted to hospital,
(5) the day on which the Medical Officer was first informed of the illness,
(6) the nature of the disease,
(7) when the deceased was last seen before his death by the Medical Officer or
Medical Subordinate,
(8) when the prisoner died, and
(9) (in cases where a post-mortem examination is made) an account of the
appearances after death,
together with any special remarks that appear to the Medical Officer to be required.
Jailor
16. Jailor.—(1) The Jailor shall reside in the prison, unless the Superintendent
permits him in writing to reside elsewhere.
(2) The Jailor shall not, without the Inspector General’s sanction in writing, be
concerned in any other employment.
17. Jailor to give notice of death of prisoner.—Upon the death of a prisoner,
the Jailer shall give immediate notice thereof to the Superintendent and the Medical
Subordinate.
18. Responsibility of Jailor.—The Jailer shall be responsible for the safe
custody of the records to be kept under section 12, for the commitment warrants and
all other documents confided to his care, and for the money and other articles taken
from prisoners.
19. Jailor to be present at night.—The Jailor shall not be absent from the
prison for a night without permission in writing from the Superintendent but, if absent
without leave for a night from unavoidable necessity, he shall immediately report the
fact and the cause of it to the Superintendent.
20. Powers of Deputy and Assistant Jailors.—Where a Deputy Jailor or
Assistant Jailor is appointed to a prison, he shall, subject to the orders of the
Superintendent, be competent to perform any of the
duties, and be subject to all the responsibilities, of a Jailor under this Act or any rule
thereunder.
Subordinate Officers
21. Duties of gate keeper.—The officer acting as gate-keeper, or any other
officer of the prison, may examine anything carried in or out of the prison, and may
stop and search or cause to be searched any person suspected of bringing any
prohibited article into or out of the prison, or of carrying out any property belonging
to the prison, and, if any such article or property be found, shall give immediate
notice thereof to the Jailor.
22. Subordinate officers not to be absent without leave.—Officers
subordinate to the Jailor shall not be absent from the prison without leave from the
Superintendent or from the Jailor.
23. Convict officers.—Prisoners who have been appointed as officers of
prisons shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Indian Penal
Code (XLV of 1960).