There are specific conditions and safeguards to be respected while in solitary confinement.
Safeguards
According to French law, while in solitary confinement, a doctor must examine you at least twice per week. The imposition of a solitary confinement does not depend on a prior medical examination, but it can be suspended if the doctor considers that your health is not good enough to pursue the sanction. As solitary confinement may cause additional physical and mental distress, the monitoring of your condition, including your physical and mental health, must be more diligent.
Restrictions and conditions in solitary confinement
Your communication with friends and family is restricted while you are in solitary confinement. According to French law, you are not allowed to see any other prisoners and you can have only one visit from someone outside the prison per week of solitary confinement. You are allowed to have written correspondence with anyone, but you can only call someone from outside once per week. However, you must be allowed to contact your lawyer and state institutions. During solitary confinement you are also deprived of all prison activities.
exception If you are a juvenile prisoner and placed in solitary confinement, you still have access to education, and there are no restrictions to the visits you can receive.
The law says that you must also be allowed to take religious literature and books for general reading with you. You can also keep with you the toiletries necessary for your daily hygiene, your clothes and cigarettes/items used to smoke, as long as there are no security risks. While in solitary confinement, you are allowed at least one hour of individual walking time per day in a dedicated yard. You are allowed to see the chaplain of your religion, but you cannot attend church services.
The general rules relating to physical conditions in the cell, hygiene requirements and food must also be observed in solitary confinement. Read more about conditions.
This sanction is called “confinement in an ordinary cell”. It is less serious than solitary confinement because you are not detained in a special cell but in your usual individual cell. Although there are some differences, these two sanctions are very similar, the rules regarding the duration are the same for both.
The differences between solitary confinement and ordinary-cell confinement are the following:
- you have at least one daily hour of free walking time (it does not have to be in a specific yard and you do not have to be alone unlike in solitary confinement)
- there are no restrictions on your access to the telephone and on your right to have visits
- you can attend church services