The Prison Rules 1964

(SI 1964 No. 388)

These rules make provision for the management of prisons, including the treatment of prisoners, the conduct of officers of prisons and the constitution, powers and duties of visiting committees and boards of visitors.  The rules revoke all the previous prison rules, which are listed in the Schedule.

The provisions of the new Rules are generally similar to those of previous Rules, but the latter have been shortened and simplified.

Section 29 sets out Regulations in respect of Education.  Personal letters and visits are addressed under Section 34.  The number of letters which a convicted prisoner is entitled to send and received is increased from one in four weeks to one in one week (Regulation 34(2)).  The prisoner is to receive a visit once in four weeks if he is under the age of 21 years and otherwise eight weeks (Regulation 34(2)(b)).

A new Regulation (42) has been included (under powers conferred by Section 23(2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1961) to provide for the disposal of money and articles sent to a prisoner through the post and inparticular where the sender is unknown, to allow their application for the benefit of the discharged prisoners.

The powers of visiting committees and boards of visitors to award punishment for graver offences by prisoners against discipline are increased in certain respects Regulation 51 and 52).