6|M  onitoring and inspecting solitary confinement units All the aspects of solitary confinement discussed in this Sourcebook – placement, conditions of confinement, regime, contact with the outside world, and the provision of medical care – should be subject to close scrutiny and review by national and international inspecting bodies. The importance of installing mechanisms for inspection and scrutiny of all prisons and other places of detention is emphasised in international and regional instruments: There shall be a regular inspection of penal institutions and services by qualified and experienced inspectors appointed by a competent authority. Their task shall be in particular to ensure that these institutions are administered in accordance with existing laws and regulations and with a view to bringing about the objectives of penal and correctional services (SMR Rule 55; Body of Principles Principle 29(1); EPR Rules 9, 92, 93). In addition to physically inspecting places of detention, the inspecting body should have full and free access to those held within: A detained or imprisoned person shall have the right to communicate freely and in full confidentiality with the persons who visit the places of detention or imprisonment in accordance with paragraph l of the present principle, subject to reasonable conditions to ensure security and good order in such places (UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, Principle 29(2)). Inspections are particularly important in segregation units, as they are closed units within closed establishments, shut off not only to the outside world, but also to other sections of the prison and to the prison society at large. As the principles cited above make clear, the inspecting body should have unhindered access to both the physical facilities at the unit, and to prisoners held in them. The inspecting body should also have access to relevant documentation, for example records of placement and review hearings, the unit log and records, CCTV footage and so on. Health staff on the visiting team must have full access to the medical registers and records. Inspectors should ensure that segregated prisoners have the opportunity to talk about their treatment privately and confidentially. Under Article 14 of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), State Parties undertake to grant the Sub-committee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: Sourcebook on solitary confinement: Monitoring and inspecting solitary confinement units 69