The Hidden Gulag - US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

The Hidden Gulag Second Editioninspecting officer without the director or othermembers of the staff being present.(3) Every prisoner shall be allowed to make arequest or complaint, without censorship as tosubstance but in proper form, to the central prisonadministration, the judicial authority or otherproper authorities through approved channels.(4) Unless it is evidently frivolous or groundless,every request or complaint shall be promptlydealt with and replied to without undue delay.Contact with the Outside World37. Prisoners shall be allowed under necessarysupervision to communicate with their familyand reputable friends at regular intervals, both bycorrespondence and by receiving visits.38. (1) Prisoners who are foreign nationals shallbe allowed reasonable facilities to communicatewith the diplomatic and consular representativesof the State to which they belong.(2) Prisoners who are nationals of States withoutdiplomatic or consular representation in thecountry and refugees or stateless persons shall beallowed similar facilities to communicate withthe diplomatic representative of the State whichtakes charge of their interests or any national orinternational authority whose task it is to protectsuch persons.39. Prisoners shall be kept informed regularly ofthe more important items of news by the readingof newspapers, periodicals or special institutionalpublications, by hearing wireless transmissions,by lectures or by any similar means asauthorized or controlled by the administration.Books40. Every institution shall have a library for theuse of all categories of prisoners, adequatelystocked with both recreational and instructionalbooks, and prisoners shall be encouraged tomake full use of it.Religion41. (1) If the institution contains a sufficientnumber of prisoners of the same religion, aqualified representative of that religion shall beappointed or approved. If the number of prisonersjustifies it and conditions permit, the arrangementshould be on a full-time basis.(2) A qualified representative appointed orapproved under paragraph (1) shall be allowed tohold regular services and to pay pastoral visits inprivate to prisoners of his religion at proper times.(3) Access to a qualified representative of anyreligion shall not be refused to any prisoner. Onthe other hand, if any prisoner should object to avisit of any religious representative, his attitudeshall be fully respected.42. So far as practicable, every prisoner shall beallowed to satisfy the needs of his religious lifeby attending the services provided in the institutionand having in his possession the booksof religious observance and instruction of hisdenomination.Retention of Prisoners’ Property43. (1) All money, valuables, clothing and othereffects belonging to a prisoner which under theregulations of the institution he is not allowedto retain shall on his admission to the institutionbe placed in safe custody. An inventory thereofshall be signed by the prisoner. Steps shall betaken to keep them in good condition.(2) On the release of the prisoner all such articlesand money shall be returned to him except in sofar as he has been authorized to spend money or181