Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1949

54Constitution and functions of visiting committees

(1)Rules made under the last foregoing section shall provide for the constitution, for prisons, of visiting committees appointed, at such times, in such manner, for such periods and by such county and town councils as may be prescribed by the rules.

(2)Rules made as aforesaid shall secure that any such visiting committee shall include such number of women as may be prescribed by the rules, and where a number less than the prescribed number is appointed by the said councils the Secretary of State may appoint such number of women as may be necessary to bring the number appointed by the councils up to the number prescribed.

(3)The Secretary of State shall appoint for every remand centre, detention centre and Borstal institution a visiting committee of which not less than two members shall be burgh magistrates or justices of the peace and not less than such number of members as may be prescribed by the rules shall be women.

(4)Rules made as aforesaid shall prescribe, the functions of visiting committees, and shall among other things require the members to pay frequent visits to the prison, remand centre, detention centre or Borstal institution, as the case may be, and hear any complaints which may be made by the persons detained therein and report to the Secretary of State any matter which they consider it expedient to report; and any member of a visiting committee may at any time enter the prison, remand centre, detention centre or Borstal institution, as the case may be, and shall have free access to every part thereof and to every person detained therein.

(5)Rules made as aforesaid may require the visiting committee appointed for any prison or Borstal institution to consider periodically the character, conduct and prospects of each of the persons sentenced to corrective training, preventive detention or Borstal training who is detained therein, and to report to the Secretary of State on the advisability of his release on licence or under supervision.

(6)The Secretary of State may pay—

(a)to the members of any visiting committee appointed under or in pursuance of this section such allowances in respect of loss of earnings or travelling or subsistence or other expenses necessarily suffered or incurred in the performance of their duties; and

(b)to the officers of any such committee such remuneration (whether by way of salary or fees) and such allowances in respect of travelling or subsistence expenses,

as the Secretary of State may with the consent of the Treasury determine.