The Secure Training Centres (Escorts) Rules 1998

Made: 27th February 1998

Laid before Parliament: 6th March 1998

Coming into force: 16th April 1998

The Secretary of State, in pursuance of paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994¹, hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Rules may be cited as the Secure Training Centres (Escorts) Rules 1998 and shall come into force on 16th April 1998.

• (2) In these Rules—

• (a) “officer” means a custody officer who is authorised to perform escort functions in accordance with section 12 of the 1994 Act;

• (b) “offender” means an offender for whose delivery or custody an officer is responsible in pursuance of escort arrangements;

• (c) “the 1994 Act” means the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Search

2

• (1) An officer shall only search an offender when it appears necessary to do so in the interests of security, good order or discipline.

• (2) An offender shall be searched in as seemly a manner as is consistent with discovering anything concealed.

• (3) An offender shall not be searched when he is exposed to public observation unless it appears to an officer that that is necessary.

• (4) An offender shall not be stripped and searched in the sight of any person other than the officers who are present during the search.

• (5) A minimum of two officers shall be present when an offender is being searched.

Well-being

3

• (1) The following provisions of this rule shall have effect with respect to the performance by officers of their duty under paragraph 3(3)(d) of Schedule 1 to the 1994 Act to attend to the well-being of offenders.

• (2) An officer shall at all times take into account an offender’s health, both physical and mental, and any relevant history (whether of violence or self-harm on the part of an offender or any other special circumstances), so far as they are known to the officer; and he shall ensure that an offender is provided with medical attention where necessary and that medical advice is sought before commencing delivery where there is any doubt as to an offender’s fitness to travel.

• (3) An officer shall ensure that adequate supplies of food, of a suitable, wholesome and nutritious nature, and drink, are provided to the offender during the period of delivery or custody, having regard to any special dietary requirements of which the officer is aware.

• (4) An officer shall ensure that an offender has an opportunity to observe any requirements of his stated religion during the period of delivery or custody.

Signed

Jack Straw — One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State — 27th February 1998

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules lay down the conditions in accordance with which custody officers acting in pursuance of escort arrangements under Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 may search offenders for whose delivery or custody they are responsible in pursuance of those arrangements.

The Rules also make provision with respect to the performance by such custody officers of their duty to attend to the well-being of such offenders.

Footnotes