Components
D1.01 Single and shared cells
Cells are rooms that are typically designed to sleep one or
two prisoners. For the protection of prisoners, the Nelson
Mandela Rules provide that it is not desirable to have two
prisoners in one cell.194 However, in many countries, double
cells are considered acceptable if the two prisoners have
been properly risk assessed for shared accommodation.
The recommended number of prisoners per cell for a prison
will vary depending on the social, cultural and operational
context. It is essential to establish whether a country has
legislation and/or guidance in place to dictate the number
of prisoners each cell or dormitory can hold and the
minimum space required for each prisoner. Country-specific
legislation and/or guidance will often exceed the minimum
recommendations provided by the ICRC.
Another consideration when determining the sharing of
cells is the nature and severity of crimes committed and
the physical security of a prisoner (e.g., child offenders
or members of particular ideologies). However, in
overcrowded prisons, cells will often house more prisoners
than they are designed to accommodate. In all cases, it
is important that potential cellmates are assessed for
compatibility to ensure the safety and security of individual
prisoners is not put at risk. When allocating prisoners to
shared cells, particular consideration should be given to
the sexual orientation and gender identity of prisoners,
as well as other vulnerable prisoners, to reduce the risk of
violence against these individuals.