40Inspection of mail and parcels

40 Inspection of mail and parcels

40 Inspection of mail and parcels

(1) A centre manager or a juvenile justice officer authorised by the centre manager may open, inspect and read a letter or parcel sent to or by a detainee and, if it contains prohibited goods, may confiscate the letter or parcel and its contents and deal with them in accordance with the directions of the Secretary.

(1A) The centre manager of a detention centre must open, inspect and read any letter or parcel sent to or by a national security interest detainee and, if it contains prohibited goods, may confiscate the letter or parcel and its contents and deal with them in accordance with the directions of the Secretary.

(2) The detainee is to be informed of the confiscation of any letter, parcel or prohibited goods.

(3) A centre manager may direct that any written or pictorial matter contained in a letter or parcel opened, inspected or read under this clause be copied before the letter or parcel containing the matter is delivered to the addressee.

(4) The direction may be given only if the centre manager or juvenile justice officer is of the opinion that the written or pictorial matter to be copied—

(a) contains anything likely to prejudice the good order and security of the centre, or

(b) is threatening, offensive, indecent, obscene or abusive.

(5) This clause does not apply to any letter or parcel addressed to, or received from, an exempt body or exempt person.

cl 40: Am 2018 (576), Sch 1 [5].