Safety, order and discipline
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement consists in keeping an inmate alone in a cell for over 22 hours a day. Because of the harmful effect on the person’s physical and mental well-being, solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional circumstances. It should be strictly supervised and used only…Browse detention issues
Disciplinary measures
The disciplinary regime establishes the rules of prison life by listing breaches of the internal regulations and the sanctions associated with these. The existence of disciplinary procedures is essential to both the maintenance of order within prison establishments and the respect for the basic…Browse detention issues
Means of restraint
Means of restraint are instruments intended to restrain or temporarily limit the freedom of movement of a person without injuring him/her, for example, handcuffs, straps, straitjackets, or restraining beds. The use of means of restraint must be forbidden except in very specific and…Browse detention issues
Cell searches
In all penitentiaries authorities must sometimes conduct searches of either some of the premises or all of the premises with a view to maintaining order and security and, more specifically, to prevent prison breaks or to put an end to illegal possession and trafficking of banned products and…Browse detention issues
Body searches
In prison, it is sometimes necessary, for security reasons, to conduct body searches of detainees. The aim of body searches is to avoid bringing in and trafficking banned or dangerous substances and objects (e.g. weapons, drugs, or mobile phones). There are three types of body searches…Browse detention issues
Separation of detainees
The primary purpose of separation is to ensure the protection and safety of persons deprived of their liberty, and the optimal management of prisons. It is also a measure to preserve the principle of the presumption of innocence of untried persons and to provide the most appropriate prison…Browse detention issues
Use of force
In prisons, recourse to force must always be the exception and it must always be used as a last resort. There are only three strictly defined situations which may justify the use of force: 1) In the case of legitimate self-defence, when there is an immediate threat of physical violence…Browse detention issues