-33 longer than 15 days is likely to infringe Art 3 of the ECHR. It is worth emphasising that the 2020 EPR allow solitary confinement only of prisoners convicted of disciplinary offences. For all other forms of conduct for which solitary confinement is sometimes used, the 2020 Rules allow only on “separation”.62 Prisoners subject to such separation must always have at least two hours of meaningful social contact a day.63 When a detainee has been in isolation for disciplinary reasons already for the maximum amount of time set by national law, and is given another measure of solitary confinement for another disciplinary offence, the detainee should be given a sufficient amount of time to recover from the previous measure.64 This means that according to the EPR, subsequent measures of solitary confinement should not be allowed without the elapse of such a period of time. Also, the decision on the application of solitary confinement should always take into account the state of health of the prisoner concerned, and should be terminated or suspended if the mental or physical health of a detainee shows signs of deterioration.65 The ECtHR does not set a specific time limit for the imposition of solitary confinement, but it measures the level of social isolation. The level of social isolation of the isolated detainee is measured by the ECtHR by considering access to information (e.g. newspapers, television, phone calls), communication with the prison staff (e.g. visits from a medical practitioner and degree of communication with the prison staff), with other prisoners (e.g. possibility to engage in collective activities), with family, lawyer, and other persons (through visits or mail). Depending on these factors, social isolation can be relative or total.66 Solitary confinement, even when it entails only relative isolation, cannot be imposed on a prisoner indefinitely.67 When social isolation is imposed for extended periods of time (e.g. in the case of special regimes for dangerous prisoners who are assessed to pose a risk to others), it has to be justified. 62. EPR 53 and 53A. 63. EPR 53A.1. 64. EPR 60.6.e. 65. EPR 60.6.b. 66. European Court of Human Rights, Case of Öcalan v. Turkey (No. 2), §§116-136, 145. 67. European Court of Human Rights, Case of Ramirez Sanchez v. France, §145. Monitoring Solitary Confinement in Prison