Prison cell
A prison cell is a small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is held. Cells greatly vary by their furnishings, hygienic services, and cleanliness, both across countries and based on the level of punishment to which the prisoner being held has been sentenced. Cells can be occupied by one or multiple prisoners depending on factors that include, but are not limited to, inmate population, facility size, resources, or inmate behavior.
Description
The International Committee of the Red Cross recommends that cells be at least in size for a single cell accommodation. However, in shared or dormitory accommodations, it recommends a minimum of per person, including in cells where bunk beds are used.File:Muzeum Więzienia Pawiak 001.JPG|thumb|right|145px|19th century prison cell in Pawiak, Warsaw
Prison cells vary in size internationally from in Guinea, in Poland, in Germany to in Norway and in Switzerland.
Council of Europe call for a minimum standard for personal living space in prison establishments is 6 m2 of living space for a single-occupancy cell or of living space per prisoner in a multiple-occupancy cell for the prevention of torture and inhuman treatment.
A March 1991 federal government study of U.S. prisons reported that:
"Until recently, the Federal Bureau of Prisons based its determination of rated capacity in existing facilities on a single-bunking standard, which currently calls for providing each inmate with at least 35 square feet of unencumbered space in a single cell. This essentially translates to a cell size of roughly.*
"In practice, however, BOP has accommodated inmate population increases by double-bunking inmates in virtually all its facilities and in cells... of varying sizes, but generally in the 50 to 70 square foot range."
In the United States old prison cells are usually about in dimension which is,. The practice of putting two persons to a cell is referred to as "double-bunking."
In many countries, the cells are dirty and have very few facilities. Other countries may house many offenders in prisons, making the cells crowded.
Prison cells in the UK
In the United Kingdom, cells in a police station are the responsibility of the custody sergeant, who also logs each detainee and allocates him or her an available cell. Custody sergeants also ensure cells are clean and as germ-free as possible, in accordance with the Human Rights Act of 1998.Prison cells in the US
In the United States, the standard cell is equipped with either a ledge or a steel bedstead that holds a mattress. A one-piece sink/toilet constructed of welded, putatively stainless steel is also provided. Bars typify older jails, while newer ones have doors that typically feature a small safety glass window and, often, a metal flap that can be opened to serve meals.A limited number of prisons in Southern California offer upgrades. Costing around $100 a night, these cells are considered cleaner and quieter, and some of them offer extra facilities and\or privileges.