Prison cell

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.

However, in shared or dormitory accommodations, it recommends a minimum of 3.4 m2 (37 sq ft) per person, including in cells where bunk beds are used.

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.

"[4] In the United States old prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet (1.8 by 2.4 m) in dimension which is 48 sq ft (4.5 m2)[citation needed], (moreover, however, American Correctional Association standards call for a minimum of 70 sq ft (6.5 m2), with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside.

[citation needed] Furnishings and fixtures inside the cell are constructed so that they cannot be easily broken, and are anchored to the walls or floor.

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.