4.5 C  oncluding remarks on regime and conditions of confinement in segregation and high security units Isolated prisoners spend up to 24 hours a day inside their cells. They have limited human contact, little or no physical contact with others, few personal possessions, and few ways to occupy themselves inside their cells. Prolonged confinement in these conditions is physically and mentally taxing. We discussed some of the potential health effects of solitary confinement in Chapter Two. These effects can be mitigated, to some degree, by ensuring that isolated prisoners: • • • • are accommodated in cells which are sufficiently large to enable them to conduct all their daily activities in a clean and humane environment, respectful of their human dignity; have daily access to fresh air and exercise; have access to meaningful human contact and purposeful activities; and, have contact visits with family members. The deprivations inherent in segregation units should not be made worse by further restrictions on in-cell provisions such as reading materials, craft and hobby materials, personal radios and so on. Wherever possible, prisoners should be allowed to conduct daily activities in association with other prisoners. Where there are compelling reasons not to allow prisoner association, increased contact with staff, particularly non-custodial (religious, educational, health) staff should be encouraged. Custodial staff should also be encouraged to engage informally with prisoners and maintain good relationships and a good atmosphere in the unit. It is thus crucial that staff working in segregation units are carefully selected, well supported and properly trained. In particular, staff should receive training in mental health and de-escalation techniques. Well trained, experienced staff can make a huge difference in segregation units. In short, every effort should be made to ensure that the harmful aspects of solitary confinement are mitigated through the provision of decent facilities, sensible regimes and purposeful activities. Adherence to the standards discussed in this chapter is not only legally required, but it also makes good managerial sense. Even when all these mitigating factors are in place, solitary confinement should not, as discussed in Chapter Three, be used for a prolonged time other than in a handful of cases where it may be exceptionally and absolutely necessary. Sourcebook on solitary confinement: Design, physical conditions and regime in solitary confinement units 53