PART 5RELIGION

Religious services and visits

38.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), every prisoner who belongs to a religious denomination may attend such services or meetings of his denomination as may, with the consent of the Governor, be arranged by the chaplain or minister concerned.

(2) The Governor may prevent a prisoner from attending any service or meeting of his religious denomination if, in exceptional circumstances, he considers it is necessary to do so in the interests of good order.

(3) The Governor shall notify the chaplain or the appropriate prison minister as soon as practicable following receipt of any request by a prisoner to receive a visit by the chaplain or, as the case may be, the prison minister.

(4) Any visit to a prisoner by a member of the chaplaincy team shall be held outwith the sight and hearing of an officer except where–

(a)the member concerned requests otherwise; or

(b)the Governor considers it would be prejudicial to the interests of security or to the safety of the member for an officer not to be present.