of research into the long-term effects of solitary confinement. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has pointed out that the suicide rate is higher among those in solitary confinement than among other inmates.10 2 Monitoring of return flights In accordance with section 71 subsection (3) no. 1d of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), the Federal Police is responsible for returning foreigners to other states. In the case of returns by air, it is possible for officers of the Federal Police to accompany the measure as far as the destination airport. A total of 7,188 returns were implemented by air in 2011, 1,261 of which were accompanied. It was however not separately recorded whether those accompanying the returns were staff of the Länder authorities or of the Federal Police.11 It can be presumed as a rule that staff of the Federal Police accompany the flights. 382 persons were returned within returns that are organised together with other European States by the European border management agency Frontex.12 The Federal Agency explored in detail in 2012 how return flights were to be accompanied from 2013 onwards. To this end, a meeting took place at the Federal Ministry of the Interior with the head of division for Command and operational matters of the Federal Police, in the course of which in particular organisational questions related to the monitoring of the returns were discussed. At the invitation of the Commissioner for Intercultural Affairs of the Diakonisches Werk in Hesse and Nassau e.V. and of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, the Federal Agency furthermore attended network meetings on the monitoring of deportations in Frankfurt. These were attended by both representatives of the financing entities of the deportation monitoring agencies, as well as by deportation monitors themselves. There was particular discussion as to the fields in which the exchange and cooperation with the Federal Agency could be sensibly stepped up. This was discussed in greater detail at a meeting that was held with Prelate Dr. Felmberg, the Commissioner of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union, which took place in Berlin in August 2012. Additionally, two workshops took place within the NPM project established by the Council of Europe on the topics “The immigration removal process and preventive monitoring” and “Irregular migrants, Frontex and the NPMs”. CPT, 21st General Report of the CPT, Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2011, No. 53. Bundestag printed paper 17/8834, p. 23. 12 Bundestag printed paper 17/8834, p. 22. 10 11 17