Section 15 in The West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992
15. Night watchman, night guard and helper.—
(1)The Superintendent of a correctional home may deploy any convict of good conduct and unblemished record during imprisonment, who has been sentenced for the first time to rigorous imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and has served fifty per cent. of the term of imprisonment, as a night watchman.(2)There shall be deployed at least two night watchmen in each ward. One shall be on duty from the time of evening lock-up till 12 p.m. and the other shall be on duty from 12 p.m. till the lock-up is opened in the morning. A night watchman shall be entitled to patrol inside the ward to perform his duties and shall generally be entrusted with the task of—(i)counting of prisoners under lock-up in the ward between the time of evening lock-up and opening the lock-up in the morning;(ii)maintaining vigilance inside the ward in which he is placed on duty during night and seeing that nothing which is punishable or prohibited under any law for the time being in force is done inside the ward;(iii)bringing to the notice of the warder on duty any culpable act which is likely to be committed but cannot be prevented by him.(3)A prisoner deployed as a night watchman shall be entitled to three days’ remission in a month in addition to ordinary remission but shall not be entitled to any wages for working as a night watchman. He shall get his wages for his usual work during day time.(4)The Superintendent of a correctional home may, with the prior approval of the Inspector General of Correctional Services, deploy any convict, who has maintained good conduct throughout his imprisonment having been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a term exceeding three years and has served seventy-five per cent. of his term of imprisonment, as a night guard. The night guard shall generally assist the security staff of the correctional home during night and shall wear blue badges for identification. The night guard may, if necessary, be posted outside the wards inside the correctional home to perform security duties. The night guard shall be entitled to five days’ special remission, in addition to the ordinary remission, per month. The convict deployed as a night guard shall not get any wages for performing security duties at night but shall be entitled to wages for his usual work during day time.(5)The Superintendent of a correctional home may deploy a prisoner of good conduct whom he thinks to be trustworthy as a helper for carrying messages and doing sundry duties as may be given to him by the Superintendent. For such duty the helper shall be entitled to two days’ special remission, in addition to his ordinary remission, per month.
