detention pending forced return. According to this, since the beginning of 2014 there are three categories of police detention centres. In Category 1 police detention centres, there is no longer any detention pending forced return. In Category 2 police detention centres, detention pending forced return is only permitted for up to seven days. This includes the Eisenstadt, Klagenfurt, Linz, Graz, Innsbruck and Bludenz police detention centres. Category 3 police detention centres are devoted to longer term detention pending forced return (more than seven days). These include the Vienna and Salzburg police detention centres and the new Vordernberg detention centre. The latter is used solely for detention pending forced return (see also pp. 125 et seq. of this report). The former Leoben and Schwechat police detention centres are currently only being used as places for short-term detention. By reducing the number of places for detention pending forced return, the Federal Ministry of the Interior hopes to bring about a general improvement in the conditions of detention. The working group examined single detention in detail, to the extent that this special security measure is ordered. The working group established uniform standards for detention in single cells. This includes all specially secured inmate cells under the Code of Conduct for Detention, i.e. tiled security cells, padded or rubberised security cells and other single cells. In the future, every police detention centre will have all three types of single cells in addition to communal cells. Persons may be confined in these cells (instead of normal detention in communal cells) only in exceptional cases and for as short a time a possible, taking the principle of proportionality into consideration. Standards for single cells The working group formulated specific standards for these single cells based on the following criteria: use, lighting, ventilation, calling capability, furnishings, technical and in-person monitoring of the cells and documentation. The Federal Ministry of the Interior dispelled the NPM’s concerns with respect to the video monitoring of toilet areas in security cells (see NPM Report 2013, p. 82) by stating that images from these cell areas had been rendered unrecognisable by technical or mechanical means. Thus both the interest in maintaining security and the inmate’s interest in protecting his or her privacy are adequately taken into account. Over the long term, the video monitoring of security cells in all police detention centres will be done independently of any light source by means of infra-red cameras with indistinct (pixelated) transmission of the toilets areas. In the opinion of the NPM, there was a breakthrough with respect to the practice of detention pending forced return. The working group agreed that the general standard for detention pending forced return should be open detention. Under this system – after undergoing a medical examination and any necessary interrogation by the relevant authorities – persons being detained pending forced return shall be placed in open detention no later than 48 hours after admission to a 119 Open detention pending forced return