In countries which still use the death penalty, and in those where it was only recently abolished, Death Row prisoners are also typically held in strict solitary confinement. Finally, prisoners may also be held in de-facto solitary confinement – sometimes remaining locked up in single occupancy cells due, for example, to staff shortages. To illustrate, in a recent report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales, 30% of prisoners surveyed in local prisons in 2006/7 (some of whom were held in single cells) claimed that they were unlocked for less than two hours a day (HMCIP Thematic Report, Time out of Cell, 6 June 2008). Case study: Solitary confinement in England & Wales Prisoners may be held in solitary confinement for periods of 22-24 hours a day in the following circumstances: • • • • • • • In police custody, where they will invariably be held in a single cell. Most police detainees are released within less than 24 hours, but some may be held longer for questioning. Authority for this has to be granted from a senior police officer at nine hourly intervals up to 72 hours, at which point authority for continued detention has to be sought from a court. Those suspected of terrorism may be held in police custody for up to 28 days. If they are placed in segregation overnight for adjudication the following day (in which case their confinement may not exceed 24 hours). If they are awarded cellular confinement as a punishment, in which case this will last no more than 14 days in the case of young prisoners or 28 days in the case of adult prisoners. If they are placed in segregation to preserve good order or discipline (GOOD) or for their own protection (OP), in which case the period of time is open-ended. In these circumstances prisoners are subject to a local review of their confinement after the first 72 hours and weekly thereafter. If they are placed in the Close Supervision System (CSC) within a restricted regime, in which case they are provided with in-cell activities and a high level of staff engagement, and are subject to local monitoring and ongoing case management from the CSC selection committee within the High Security Directorate. When a CSC prisoner is transferred to a segregation unit in a high security prison and held in a designated CSC cell or high control cell* for a period of time-out, in which case they are subject to ongoing case management by the CSC selection committee within the High Security Directorate, but in practice to little local monitoring. When a prisoner with mental health problems is held in a single cell within the prison hospital under the care of health care staff. *A high control cells are equipped with a feeding hatch in the cell door which allow for food and other provisions to be delivered without unlocking the prisoner at all. Sourcebook on solitary confinement: The decision to place prisoners and detainees in solitary confinement 27