Section 54 in The West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992
54. Fitness of prisoners.—
(1)The Medical Officer shall, after conviction of a prisoner, examine him and endorse on his history ticket whether he is fit for hard labour, medium labour or light labour. The Superintendent shall on the recommendation of the Medical Officer as aforesaid, fix the work to be done by such prisoner, keeping in view his physical condition, personal taste and aptitude, and shall determine whether the prisoner should be employed in skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled labour. In case of a female prisoner, the work to be done by her shall not exceed two-thirds of the work involving hard labour, medium labour or light labour as the case may be, to be done by a male prisoner.(2)No prisoner shall be put to hard labour continuously for a period exceeding four months without a break for at least one month.(3)If, on a subsequent examination of a prisoner recommended earlier for hard labour, the Medical Officer is of opinion that his health does not permit him to undergo such hard labour, the Medical Officer may recommend him for medium labour or light labour.(4)If, at any time, the Medical Officer is of opinion that a prisoner is or has been suffering from a contagious or infectious disease, he shall at once send the prisoner to the segregation cell or room, as the case may be, and arrange for his proper treatment till his recovery.
