Notes on detention

Are you sentenced to prison?

There are four Correctional Centres in Berlin where a so-called “self-surrender” is possible.

This means that every person with a pending custodial sentence who remained free between sentencing and entering prison to start serving their
sentence is asked to come to the particular prison on a fixed date.

There are a few points to consider in this case so please note the information on the respective website of the institution:

• Berlin Women’s Correctional Centre
• Berlin Open Prison Centre
• Plötzensee Correctional Centre
• Berlin Juvenile Detention Centre

Are you facing the execution of a custodial sanction for fine default?

Probably you haven’t paid a fine.

You can still avert the start of custodial sanction if you pay the fine in good time. If you cannot pay the fine, you have the option of applying for payment in installments or for free activity.

Even after the custodial sanction has commenced, family members or acquaintances can still pay the fine. In this case, please inquire at the correctional facility about the amount of the required amount.

Have you been sentenced to jouth arrest?

Youth arrest can be ordered as leisure arrest, short arrest or permanent arrest.

Information on youth arrest can be found on the website of

• Jugendarrestanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg

General rules in custody (contacts, visits, money and purchasing)

Phone calls

Cell phones are not allowed inside a correctional facility!

However, detainees can make phone calls with the permission of the correctional facility. There are permanently installed telephones in the correctional facility for this purpose.

If it is necessary to monitor the telephone conversation, the institution will inform the prisoner in good time before the start of the telephone call and the interlocutors of the prisoner immediately after the connection has been established.

The prisoners bear the costs of the telephone calls. If they are not able to do so, the establishment can assume the costs in justified cases to a reasonable extent.

Letters

The prisoners have the right to send and receive letters.

If you are writing to a prisoner, please note that the letter does not contain any deposits (e.g. bank notes). That is not allowed!

The prisoners bear the costs of the correspondence. If they are not able to do so, the establishment can assume the costs in justified cases to a reasonable extent.

Visits

The prisoners are allowed to receive regular visitors. The total duration for the visit is at least two hours!

For juvenile prisoners and young prisoners on remand at least four hours a month.

An appointment is required for a visit. No visit can take place without an appointment.

Stay in the institution

Visitors are not allowed to hand over any objects or money to the prisoners. Conversely, they are also not allowed to accept any items or money from the prisoners.

If this rule is disregarded, an immediate termination of the visit can be expected. If necessary, a permanent ban on visits will be issued.

If you are unsure whether a certain behavior is prohibited or permitted, please inquire with the prison staff beforehand. The staff will be happy to answer your questions!

Cash

Prisoners are generally not allowed to have any cash inside the prison. Instead, a separate account is created for prisoners at the correctional facility.

Prisoners can use the credit on this personal account to pay for their purchases, for example. For this purpose, relatives may transfer money through the institution. Sending cash in letters or parcels is not permitted.

When making the transfer, the purpose of the transfer is to include the surname, first name, date of birth and (if known) the book number of your or your relative. If the deposit is intended for a specific purpose, please state the purpose. You can find information on bank details on the website of the respective institution.

Purchasing

Prisoners have the opportunity to buy things for their personal needs within the institution.

For example, you can buy coffee, chocolate or toiletries.