-35
dark or constantly lit cell is prohibited (Mandela Rules75, EPR76). Cells
should also be adequately furnished with a bed, table and chair, sanitary
facilities (ECtHR77, CPT78) and means of communication with the prison
staff; when the cell is not used for disciplinary solitary confinement, it
should be furnished as a regular cell (CPT79). Those who are kept in solitary
confinement should be given access to at least one hour of outdoor exercise
(SPT80, CPT81, EPR82) and the area for outdoor exercise should be sufficiently
large to enable detainees to genuinely exert themselves and should have
some means of protection from the elements (CPT83).Some general living
conditions that cannot be withdrawn, which include those related to light,
ventilation, temperature, sanitation, nutrition, drinking water, access to
open air and physical exercise, personal hygiene, health care and adequate
personal space; in general a cell for solitary confinement should look like a
regular cell (Mandela Rules84, EPR85, CPT86). A physician or a public health
official should monitor these conditions (Mandela Rules87, SRT88, EPR89).
The ECtHR also considers other factors of the regime such as access to
television, books (which should not be limited to religious texts), and
newspapers, the possibility, duration and equipment to exercise indoor
and/or outdoors, and whether the detainee has access to in-cell or out-ofcell activities (alone or with other detainees).90
75. Mandela Rules 43..
76. EPR 60.3.
77. European Court of Human Rights, Case of Öcalan v. Turkey (No. 2), §§110-112.
European Court of Human Rights, Case of Ramirez Sanchez v. France, §§12, 127, 130.
78. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 2011, §§58-60.
79. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 2011, §§58-60.
80. Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, Report on the visit of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment to Sweden, CAT/OP/SWE/1, 10 September 2008, §127.
81. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 2011, §§58-60.
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Imprisonment. Extract from the 2nd General Report of the CPT, Strasbourg, 1992, §48
82. EPR, Rule 53.A.g
83. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 2011, §§58-60.
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 1992, §48
84. Mandela Rules 42..
85. EPR Rule 53.A.e and Rule 53.A.g.
86. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, 2011, §§58-60
87. Mandela Rules 35.
88. United Nations General Assembly, 2011, §§100-101.
89. EPR 44.
90. European Court of Human Rights, Case of Ramirez Sanchez v. France, §128.
Monitoring Solitary Confinement in Prison
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents