Section 52: Discharge of detainee

52. Discharge of detainee (1) The officer in charge shall be responsible for the release of a detainee immediately on his becoming entitled to release. (2) A detainee shall be released before noon on the day of release or, where that day is a Sunday or other public holiday, on the preceding day. R10 – 21 [Issue 1] Reform Institutions Act (3) Subject to subsection (4), the officer in charge shall— (a) return to a detainee who is released all articles of clothing and property belonging to him which have not been destroyed under section 24; (b) in the case of a detainee who has been detained for a period of not less than 3 years, give him clothing of a suitable kind. (4) Where— (a) a detainee is discharged and fails to claim his property within 6 months of his discharge; or (b) a detainee dies in the institution and his personal representative or a close relative does not claim his property within 6 months of his death, the officer in charge may, with the approval of the Minister, destroy the property or sell it and devote the proceeds to the welfare of other detainees. (5) Where a detainee is discharged from an institution, the Commissioner shall provide him with free transport or sufficient money to enable him to return to his place of residence. (6) Where the property of a deceased detainee is returned to his close relative, a receipt signed by the relative shall constitute a sufficient discharge against any claim brought by any other person. PART VI – BOARDS OF VISITORS AND DISCHARGED PERSONS’ AID COMMITTEES