The Young Offender Institution Rules 2000

Religion

Religious denomination

30.  An inmate shall be treated as being of the religious denomination stated in the record made in pursuance of section 10(5) of the Prison Act 1952, but the governor may, in a proper case after due inquiry, direct that record to be amended.

Special duties of chaplains and appointed ministers

31.—(1) The chaplain or a minister appointed to a young offender institution shall—

(a) interview every inmate of his denomination individually as soon as he reasonably can after the inmate’s reception into that institution and shortly before his release; and

(b) if no other arrangements are made, read the burial service at the funeral of any inmate of his denomination who dies in that institution.

(2) The chaplain shall visit daily all inmates belonging to the Church of England who are sick, under restraint or confined to a room or cell; and a minister appointed to a young offender institution shall do the same, as far as he reasonably can, for inmates of his own denomination.

(3) If the inmate is willing, the chaplain shall visit any inmate not of the Church of England who is sick, under restraint or confined to a room or cell, and is not regularly visited by a minister of his own denomination.

Regular visits by ministers of religion, etc

32.—(1) The chaplain shall visit regularly the inmates belonging to the Church of England.

(2) A minister appointed to a young offender institution shall visit the inmates of his denomination as regularly as he reasonably can.

(3) The governor shall, if so requested by an inmate belonging to a denomination for which no minister has been appointed to a young offender institution do what he reasonably can to arrange for that inmate to be visited regularly by a minister of that denomination.

(4) Every request by an inmate to see the chaplain or a minister appointed to a young offender institution shall be promptly passed on to the chaplain or minister.

Religious services

33.—(1) The chaplain shall conduct Divine Service for inmates belonging to the Church of England at least once every Sunday, Christmas Day and Good Friday, and such celebrations of Holy Communion and weekday services as may be arranged.

(2) A minister appointed to a young offender institution shall conduct Divine Service for inmates of his denomination at such times as may be arranged.

Substitute for chaplain or appointed minister

34.—(1) A person approved by the Secretary of State may act for the chaplain in his absence.

(2) A minister appointed to a young offender institution may, with the leave of the Secretary of State, appoint a substitute to act for him in his absence.

Sunday work

35.  Arrangements shall be made so as not to require inmates to do any unnecessary work on Sunday, Christmas Day or Good Friday nor inmates of religions other than the Christian religion to do any unnecessary work on their recognised days of religious observance (as in alternative, but not in addition, to those days).

Religious books

36.  There shall, so far as reasonably practicable, be available for the personal use of every inmate such religious books recognised by his denomination as are approved by the Secretary of State for use in young offender institutions.