Cell Design and General Housing Area Requirements

(1) Only one inmate should occupy each cell designed for single occupancy, except in the event of an overcrowding emergency (See 103 CMR 901.05). Single occupancy cells/rooms are provided when indicated for the following: • Maximum and close custody • Inmates with severe medical disabilities • Inmates suffering from serious mental illness • Sexual predators • Inmates likely to be exploited or victimized by others • Inmates who have other special needs for single-occupancy housing All general housing cells or sleeping areas designed for single occupancy shall contain 35 square feet of unencumbered space. (2) Under normal operations when confinement exceeds ten hours per day (excluding a normal eight-hour sleep period) there is at least 70 square feet total floor space per occupant. (3) In general population housing, each inmate shall have access to, at a minimum, the following facilities and conditions: (a) sanitation facilities, including access to: 1. a toilet above floor level that is available for use without staff assistance 24 hours a day; 2. a washbasin with hot and cold running water; (b) a bed at above floor level, a writing surface and proximate area to sit, storage for personal items and a place to suspend clothes. (c) natural light. (4) When both males and females are housed in the same building, the county correctional facility shall provide separate sleeping quarters and sanitation facilities, which shall be separated visually and acoustically. (5) The county correctional facility shall be designed and constructed so that inmates can be separated according to 103 CMR 942.00, and to the facility's classification plan. This requirement applies only to additions and new facilities. 103 CMR 920.07 shall not apply to community release facilities.