The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011

Compulsory testing for controlled drugs

This section has no associated Executive Note

93.—(1) This rule applies where an officer, acting under the powers conferred by section 41B of the Act (testing prisoners for drugs)(1), requires a prisoner to provide a sample for the purpose of ascertaining whether he or she has any controlled drug in his or her body.

(2) In this rule “sample” means a sample of urine, saliva or any other description of sample specified in the authorisation by the Governor for the purposes of section 41B of the Act.

(3) When requiring a prisoner to provide a sample, an officer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, inform the prisoner—

(a)that he or she is being required to provide a sample in accordance with section 41B of the Act; and

(b)that a refusal to provide a sample may lead to disciplinary proceedings being brought against the prisoner under Part 11.

(4) A prisoner who is required to produce a sample under this rule must provide a fresh sample, free from any alteration or falsification.

(5) An officer requiring a sample must make such arrangements and give the prisoner such instructions for the provision of a sample as may be reasonably necessary in order to prevent or detect any alteration or falsification of the sample.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), a prisoner who is required to provide a sample under this rule may be kept apart from other prisoners for a period not exceeding one hour to enable arrangements to be made for the provision of the sample.

(7) A prisoner who is unable to provide a sample of urine when required to do so under this rule may be kept apart from other prisoners until he or she has provided the required sample, but not for a period in excess of 5 hours.

(8) When providing a sample of urine—

(a)the prisoner must be afforded such degree of privacy for the purposes of providing the sample as may be compatible with the need to prevent or detect any alteration or falsification of the sample; and

(b)the prisoner must not be required to provide such a sample in the sight of a person of the opposite gender.

(1)

1989 c.45; section 41B was added by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33), section 151(2) and was amended by the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp 14), section 16.