The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011

Compulsory testing for alcohol

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

(2) In this rule “sample” means a sample of breath or any other description of sample specified in the authorisation by the Governor for the purposes of section 41C 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) of the requirement to provide a sample in accordance with section 41C 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 the required sample has been provided, 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 41C was added by the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 (c.48), section 42.