Prison Act 1952 (c. 52)

1. Introductory Text

2. Central administration

   1. 1. General control over prisons.

   2. 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   3. 3. Officers and servants of Prison Commissioners.

   4. 4. General duties of Prison Commissioners.

   5. 5. Annual report of Prison Commissioners.

   6. 5A. Appointment and functions of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

3. Visiting committees and boards of visitors

   1. 6. Independent monitoring boards

4. Prison officers

   1. 7. Prison officers.

   2. 8. Powers of prison officers.

   3. 8A. Powers of search by authorised persons .

   4. 9. Exercise of office of chaplain.

   5. 10. Appointment of prison ministers.

   6. 11. Ejectment of prison officers and their families refusing to quit.

5. Confinement and treatment of prisoners

   1. 12. Place of confinement of prisoners.

   2. 13. Legal custody of prisoner.

   3. 14. Cells.

   4. 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   5. 16. Photographing and measuring of prisoners.

   6. 16A. Testing prisoners for drugs.

   7. 16B. Power to test prisoners for alcohol.

   8. 17. Painful tests.

   9. 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   10. 19. Right of justice to visit prison.

   11. 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   12. 21. Expenses of conveyance to prison.

   13. 22. Removal of prisoners for judicial and other purposes.

   14. 23. Power of constable etc. to act outside his jurisdiction.

6. Length of sentence, release on licence and temporary discharge

   1. 24. Calculation of term of sentence.

   2. 25. †Remission for good conduct and release on licence of persons sentenced to terms of imprisonment.

   3. 26, 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   4. 28. Power of Secretary of State to discharge prisoners temporarily on account of ill health.

7. Discharged prisoners

   1. 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   2. 30. Payments for discharged prisoners.

8. Provision, maintenance and closing of prisons

   1. 33. Power to provide prisons, etc.

   2. 34. Jurisdiction of sheriff, etc.

   3. 35. Prison property.

   4. 36. Acquisition of land for prisons.

   5. 37. Closing of prisons.

   6. 38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9. Offences

   1. 39. Assisting a prisoner to escape

   2. 40. Unlawful conveyance of spirits or tobacco into prison, etc.

   3. 40A. Sections 40B and 40C: classification of articles

   4. 40B. Conveyance etc. of List A articles into or out of prison

   5. 40C. Conveyance etc. of List B or C articles into or out of prison

   6. 40D. Other offences relating to prison security

   7. 40E. Section 40D: meaning of “authorisation” and other interpretation

   8. 40F. Offences under sections 40B to 40D: extension of Crown immunity

   9. 41. Unlawful introduction of other articles.

   10. 42. Display of notice of penalties.

10. Remand centres, detention centres and Borstal institutions

    1. 43. Remand centres, detention centres and youth custody centres.

    2. 44—46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11. Rules for the management of prisons and other institutions

    1. 47. Rules for the management of prisons, remand centres, detention centres and Borstal institutions.

12. Miscellaneous

    1. 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    2. 49. Persons unlawfully at large.

    3. 50. Application of certain provisions to remand homes and attendance centres.

13. Supplemental

    1. 51. Payment of expenses out of moneys provided by Parliament.

    2. 52. Exercise of power to make orders, rules and regulations.

    3. 53. Interpretation.

    4. 54. Consequential amendments, repeals and savings.

    5. 55. Short title, commencement and extent.

14. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE A1

       Further provision about Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons

       1. Delegation of functions

          1. 1. (1) The Chief Inspector may delegate any of his functions...

       2. Inspection programmes and inspection frameworks

          1. 2. (1) The Chief Inspector shall from time to time, or...

       3. Inspections by other inspectors of organisations within Chief Inspector's remit

          1. 3. (1) If— (a) a person or body within sub-paragraph (2)...

       4. Co-operation

          1. 4. The Chief Inspector shall co-operate with— (a) Her Majesty's Inspectors...

       5. Joint action

          1. 5. (1) The Chief Inspector may act jointly with another public...

       6. Assistance for other public authorities

          1. 6. (1) The Chief Inspector may if he thinks it appropriate...

    2. FIRST AND SECOND SCHEDULES

       . . .

    3. THIRD SCHEDULE

       . . .

    4. FOURTH SCHEDULE

       . . .