Solitary confinement

After an absence of nearly nineteen years, in 1990 the concept of solitary confinement was reinstated. Under Section 36 of the Correctional Services Act 1982 the Chief Executive Officer may direct that a prisoner be kept separately and apart from all other prisoners within the prison if in his or opinion it is desirable:

to investigate an allegedoffence by the prisoner. Using this reason a prisoner can only be kept separate and apart for up to thirty days [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.36(2a),(3)]
for the prisoner's safety or welfare
to protect other prisoners
to ensure security or good order within the prison.

A prisoner confined for one of the last three reasons may be kept in solitary confinement for as long as the Chief Executive Officer wishes [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.36(4)]. The Minister of Correctional Services must be given a report about any such confinement and may review the decision and either confirm or revoke it [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.36(9),(10)]. The prisoner confined must be notified in writing within twenty four hours and presumably told the reason for the confinement.