GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL AGENCY purposeful activity and appropriate human contact (e.g. extended visiting times) should be provided. Those placed in solitary confinement should also be regularly visited by a psychiatrist/psychologist and by a pastoral worker. These meetings should be conducted 8 in an appropriate and confidential environment. always be included. It should be possible to read and understand the custody record book without having to consult other documents. It should also be possible to verify whether checks have been carried out without first having to consult an occupancy sheet which is located elsewhere. That is why the custody record book should always be kept in the vicinity of the custody cells. 5.4 – FURNISHINGS AND FITTINGS IN PRISON CELLS 5.7 – INSTRUCTION ABOUT RIGHTS AFTER BEING TAKEN INTO POLICE CUSTODY Prisoners should have access to natural, unfiltered light in their cells. Their view out of the window should not be obstructed by opaque plexiglass panes, 9 for instance. Multi-occupancy cells must have a separate toilet with separate ventilation. The minimum required floor space of a multi-occupancy cell is dependent on the individual circumstances. Account must, for example, be taken of the time prisoners are permitted to spend outside the cell and whether they are able to 10 look out of the window. Whenever a person is taken into police custody they must immediately be instructed about their rights. Forms containing all the relevant information should therefore be available in various languages. They should at the very least include information about the fact that anyone who is taken into police custody has the right to be examined by a doctor, to consult a lawyer, to notify a trusted third party and, where applicable, their home country’s consulate. As regards access to a legal adviser, it is not enough to simply inform those taken into police custody about their right to contact a “trusted third party”. Rather, it must be made clear that access to legal advice constitutes a separate right. It should be documented in the police custody record book that the person taken into custody has been instructed about their rights so that it is clear following a shift change-over whenever the relevant information was not been provided for any 12 specific reason. 5.5 – FURNISHINGS AND FITTINGS IN CUSTODY CELLS Custody cells used by the police, the customs authorities and the military police should be equipped with fire detectors so as to guarantee the safety of those kept in custody in the event of fire. The custody cells should also have night lighting so that, for example, the emergency call button can be easily located without the source of light then preventing the detained person from sleeping. Likewise, custody cells should have an intercom, especially when they are located in remote parts of the building. The temperature in custody cells should not exceed 22°C. A sufficient number of washable, flame-resistant mattresses should be kept in stock. When new custody facilities are built, it should be ensured that natural light is available in the rooms. Facilities which do not have access to daylight are not suitable for detaining people 11 for any significant length of time. 5.6 – DOCUMENTATION OF SHORT PERIODS IN CUSTODY When checks are made of those detained in custody this should be documented in detail by officers in the custody record book. In addition to the exact time of the check, the name and signature of the officer checking on the person in the custody cell should 8 National Agency, Annual Report 2010/2011, p. 19 National Agency, Annual Report 2013, p. 82 National Agency, Annual Report 2013, p. 81 11 National Agency, Annual Report 2013, p. 75 9 10 12 16 cf. National Agency, Annual Report 2013, p. 72, p. 76–77