55.—(1) This rule applies to any letter or package, other than one to which rule 56 or 57 applies, which a prisoner wishes to send or which is addressed to a prisoner.
(2) An officer or employee may open a letter or package to which this rule applies and remove [F2, copy and, for the purposes of investigating whether it contains a prohibited article or unauthorised property, test] the contents of that letter or package.
(3) Where an officer or employee proposes to open a letter or package to which this rule applies, or remove the contents of that letter or package, the officer or employee may ask the prisoner to be present when the letter or package is opened or its contents removed.
[F3(3A) Where an officer or employee copies the contents of a letter or package to which this rule applies, the officer or employee must provide the copy to the prisoner.
(3B) Where an officer or employee copies the contents of a letter or package to which this rule applies, the officer or employee may retain the letter or package for return to the prisoner upon his or her release.]
(4) The contents of a letter or package to which this rule applies may only be read by an officer or employee—
(a)in the circumstances specified in a direction by the Scottish Ministers made under paragraph (7); and
(b)in accordance with any conditions specified in a direction by the Scottish Ministers made under paragraph (7).
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), where a letter or package to which this rule applies is, or is found to contain anything, in contravention of the restrictions specified in a direction by the Scottish Ministers made under paragraph (7), an officer or employee may—
(a)prevent the letter or package, or the contents of the letter or package, from being sent or from being received by the prisoner; and
(b)deal with the letter or package, or the contents of the letter or package, in accordance with such arrangements as may be specified in a direction by the Scottish Ministers made under paragraph (7).
(6) Where a letter or package to which this rule applies is found to contain a prohibited article or any unauthorised property, the Governor must deal with the item in terms of rule 104.
(7) The Scottish Ministers may specify in a direction any of the following matters in relation to letters and packages to which this rule applies—
(a)the circumstances in which a letter or package may be read;
(b)the conditions under which a letter or package may be read;
(c)the officers or employees who may be authorised to read a letter or package;
(d)the restrictions as to the number of letters or packages which a prisoner may send;
(e)the restrictions as to the amount of money (whether in the form of cash, cheques, bankers’ drafts or otherwise) which a prisoner may send or receive in a letter or package;
(f)the times and frequency at which a prisoner may send or receive money (whether in the form of cash, cheques, bankers’ drafts or otherwise) in a letter or package;
(g)the persons, authorities and organisations to whom a prisoner is prohibited from sending a letter or package;
(h)the restrictions or conditions which apply where a prisoner wishes to send a letter or package to a person, authority or organisation with whom the prisoner is not prohibited from corresponding;
(i)the general nature and description of letters or packages which a prisoner is not permitted to send or receive; and
(j)the arrangements in accordance with which a letter or package, or the contents of a letter or package, may be dealt under paragraph (5)(b).]
Textual Amendments
F1Rules 55-57 substituted for rules 55-59 (24.3.2016) by The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/131), rules 1, 2(9)
F2Words in rule 55(2) inserted (13.12.2021) by The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2021 (S.S.I. 2021/446), rules 1, 2(3)(a)