ing by granting accompanied short leave under escort, a range of sports and a computer course). The Joint Commission appreciated that short leave under escort could only be provided when accompanied by two officers, given the seriousness of the crime, the criminal record and the long period in detention. In particular, however, the time that was available to Rosdorf prison was too short as a testing time for a more extensive, gradual opening of the prison regime to the outside, without which careful preparation for release is not possible. A total of eleven persons were in solitary confinement in Celle prison in 2010 and 2011, including the two cases that were described. These included seven inmates from Celle main prison, two from the Salinenmoor department and two more from other prisons. Because of these numbers, the Commission has considerable doubts as to whether the measure of solitary confinement in Celle prison, as also recommended by the Council of Europe, is only applied in very special exceptional cases18, and whether all possible alternatives have been examined in the preceding period. “In view of the gravity of the incursion, a duration of more than four weeks for the individual measure should be the exception”. 19 Persons in preventive detention were in a separate department in solitary confinement cells and accommodated in a very narrow area with a floor-space of only 6.7 m². The layout of the cells is also very impractical. In order for instance to be able to use the television, the inmates needed to move the furniture (table and chair). There was no space on the walls to attach personal items such as pictures or a small board. The sanitary facilities of the cells were also too cramped. The spatial constraints were also complained about by several inmates. The persons in preventive detention will be transferred to Rosdorf prison in May 2013, where the spatial conditions are said to be much better. According to the supervisory authority, the distance principle will be respected there by generous spatial planning. However, the very small cells described in Celle prison should no longer be occupied at all in this form by persons in preventive detention after the move. 5.1.3 Fuhlsbüttel prison in Hamburg The Joint Commission visited Fuhlsbüttel prison in Hamburg on 1 March 2012. The prison is responsible for confining male criminal convicts who have received a prison sentence of more than three years. It is furthermore responsible – if detention is ordered on a person who is already in detention – for male criminal convicts who have received a prison sentence of more than three years and for male inmates in special cases with the consent of the judicial authority/prison Cf. Freiheitsentzug. Die Empfehlungen des Europarates. Europäische Strafvollzugsgrundsätze 2006. Published by Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Forum Verlag Godesberg, p. 22 et seqq. 19 Arloth, Frank, StVollzG, 3rd ed. 2011, section 89 no. 3. 18 41