242.  A prisoner, after his first day of confinement, and until his sentence has been duly promulgated, is considered as held in confinement by the commanding officer.  After due promulgation of his sentence, the prisoner is held in confinement by authority of the officer who reviews the proceedings of the court awarding sentence.  The commander of the guard will state in his report, in the proper place, the name of the officer by whom the prisoner was originally confined.

243.  Enlisted men against whom charges have been preferred will be designated as “awaiting trial”; enlisted men who have been tried will, prior to the promulgation of the result, be designated as “awaiting result of trial”; enlisted men serving sentences of confinement not involving dishonorable discharge, will be designated as “garrison prisoners.”  Persons sentenced to dismissal or dishonorable discharge and to terms of confinement at military posts or elsewhere will be designated as “general prisoners.”  (A.  R. 928.)

244.  The sentences of prisoners will be read to them when the order promulgating the same is received.  The officer of the guard, or the officer of the day if there be no officer of the guard, will lead them unless the commanding officer shall direct otherwise.

245.  When the date for the commencement of a term of confinement imposed by sentence of a court-martial is not expressly fixed by sentence, the term of confinement begins on the date of the officer promulgating it.  The sentence is continuous until the term expires, except when the person sentenced is absent without authority. (A.  R. 969.)

246.  When soldiers awaiting trial or the result of trial, or undergoing sentence commit offenses for which they are tried, the second sentence will be executed upon the expiration of the first.

247.  Prisoners awaiting trial by, or undergoing sentence of, a general court-martial and those confined for serious offenses will be kept apart, when practicable, from those confined by sentence of an inferior court or for minor offenses.  Enlisted men in confinement for minor offenses, or awaiting trial or the result of trial for the same, will ordinarily be sent to work under charge of unarmed overseers instead of armed sentinels and will be required attend drills unless the commanding officer shall direct otherwise.

248.  Prisoners, other than general prisoners, will be furnished with food from their respective companies or from the organizations to which they may be temporarily attached.

The food of prisoners will, when practicable, be sent to their places of confinement, but post commanders may arrange to send the prisoners, under proper guard, to their messes for meals.

When there is no special mess for general prisoners, they will be attached for rations to companies.

Enlisted men bringing meals for the prisoners will not be allowed to enter the prison room. (See par. 289.)