5.1.1 Cologne prison The Joint Commission for the Prevention of Torture visited Cologne prison on 25 January 2012. Cologne prison is responsible for the execution of prison sentences imposed on male criminal convicts for up to four years, and on female criminal convicts for up to three years. It is furthermore responsible for female and male remand detainees. The responsibility also covers juvenile criminal and remand detainees. The capacity was 1,171 places. The prison was occupied by 1,109 inmates at the time of the visit (of whom 321 were women). The Commission particularly inspected the security area, the penal detention wing with sanitary facilities, specially-secured cells containing no dangerous objects and the free-time yards. It held discussions with officers, and with the chaplain, as well as with several inmates of various departments (including inmates in the security area) and with members of the prisoners’ co-responsibility body. Furthermore, it inspected files of several inmates who were accommodated in the security area at the time of the inspection. Positive finding The prisoners’ co-responsibility body made positive comments with regard to the good relationship particularly with the head of department, by whom the inmates feel that they are taken seriously, as they are by the prison governor and the heads of department. Recommendations by the Joint Commission and the reaction of the Ministry of Justice of the Land North Rhine-Westphalia When inspecting the security area, the Joint Commission became aware of an inmate as a result of loud shouting who, according to the prison governor, was in solitary confinement because of his unpredictable, aggressive conduct towards officers and was being accommodated in alternating prisons of the Land North Rhine-Westphalia.16 The Commission spoke with the inmate. Because of his conduct showing major psychological peculiarities, more information was requested from the prison doctor. The latter stated that the inmate had been visited by a psychiatrist one week previously. The psychiatrist had diagnosed a schizophrenic disorder. It was not possible to provide any further details as to this diagnosis. According to the prison doctor, no further treatment measures were currently indicated. The inmate was said not to be cooperating. He showed this in particular in his lack of reliability when it came to taking his medicines. The Commission found the assessment 16 Cf. Annual Report 2010/2011, loc. cit., pp. 52-53. 33