Speaking points for Director General Gianluca Esposito – for the multilateral meeting “Solitary confinement in prisons and its alternatives: a human rights perspective”

24-25 September 2024

Prepared by the Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty (CPDL) Division

Thanking participants for attending this event, sharing their experiences and good practices, and reflecting on a future outlook regarding the use of solitary confinement in the prison context.

Solitary confinement of prisoners is found, in some shape or form, in every prison system. The European Court of Human Rights and the CPT stressed often its damaging effect on individual prisoners.

European Prison Rules forbid the application of solitary confinement on children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers or parents with infants in prison. The CM recommends that in all other cases it is used only as the measure of the last resort, is as short as possible and takes into account the state of health of the prisoner.

Numerous studies and sources confirm that it can have an extremely damaging effect on the mental, somatic, and social health of those concerned.

Based on the CoE standards and the work of the Associazione Antigone and their comprehensive documents on alternatives to solitary confinement published in May 2023,  we brought together senior officials and professionals from prison services of the CoE member states. We look forward to discussing these two days the use and alternatives to the solitary confinement, with an aim of reducing and potentially phasing out the practice.

I thank you for your attention and wish you a successful meeting.