Prisons Regulations · 2002 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Custody of Prisoners
48. Search of visitors
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A visitor may be searched by a prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer, and the search —
must not take place in the presence of any prisoner or another visitor;
must be conducted with strict regard to decency; and
if the visitor is a female — must be carried out by a female prison officer or female authorised auxiliary police officer.
A prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer conducting a search mentioned in paragraph (1) may impound any article found during the search if the officer is of the opinion that the article —
is prohibited under the Act, any regulations made under the Act, or the Prison Standing Orders;
is likely to be dangerous to the health or life of any prisoner; or
is likely to facilitate any prisoner’s escape from the prison.
The visitor may be refused entry to a prison if —
the visitor refuses to be searched by a prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer; or
in the case of a visitor mentioned in regulation 47(1)(c) — the prison officer conducting the visit, or an authorised auxiliary police officer, is of the opinion that the entry of the visitor would be prejudicial to the security or good order of the prison.
If the visitor is refused entry under paragraph (3), any of the following persons must record the grounds of refusal in a report to the Superintendent of the prison:
a prison officer;
an authorised auxiliary police officer;
an employee or officer of a company or organisation that is engaged by the Singapore Prison Service to record the grounds of refusal.
Subregulation 1
A visitor may be searched by a prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer, and the search —
must not take place in the presence of any prisoner or another visitor;
must be conducted with strict regard to decency; and
if the visitor is a female — must be carried out by a female prison officer or female authorised auxiliary police officer.
Subregulation 2
A prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer conducting a search mentioned in paragraph (1) may impound any article found during the search if the officer is of the opinion that the article —
is prohibited under the Act, any regulations made under the Act, or the Prison Standing Orders;
is likely to be dangerous to the health or life of any prisoner; or
is likely to facilitate any prisoner’s escape from the prison.
Subregulation 3
The visitor may be refused entry to a prison if —
the visitor refuses to be searched by a prison officer or an authorised auxiliary police officer; or
in the case of a visitor mentioned in regulation 47(1)(c) — the prison officer conducting the visit, or an authorised auxiliary police officer, is of the opinion that the entry of the visitor would be prejudicial to the security or good order of the prison.
Subregulation 4
If the visitor is refused entry under paragraph (3), any of the following persons must record the grounds of refusal in a report to the Superintendent of the prison:
a prison officer;
an authorised auxiliary police officer;
an employee or officer of a company or organisation that is engaged by the Singapore Prison Service to record the grounds of refusal.