10A NCAC 14J .1214       WINDOWS AND GLAZING

(a)  If glazing affords persons from outside of the jail a view of inmates inside the jail, the glazing shall:

(1)           admit natural light into the confinement unit or dayroom;

(2)           be diffused or obscured to prevent persons from outside the jail from observing inmates inside the jail.

(b)  A view panel used to observe a confinement unit shall have an area that permits observation of the entire unit.

(c)  For a single segregation cell, a window to the outdoors shall be provided either in the cell or in the corridor that is contiguous to the cell. If the window is provided in the cell, it shall have a gross window area measuring not less than three square feet. If the window is provided in the corridor that is contiguous to the cell, the gross window area of the corridor shall be equivalent to the sum of two square feet per inmate whose segregation cell is contiguous to the corridor or 48 square feet, whichever is greater. The cell door shall have a window area measuring not less than 96 square inches.

(d)  Unless natural light is provided to a single cell or multiple occupancy cell from a dayroom as set forth in Paragraph (e) of this Rule, a cell shall have windows to the outdoors. The windows shall comply with the following:

(1)           a single cell shall have a gross window area measuring not less than three square feet;

(2)           a multiple occupancy cell with two inmates shall have a gross window area measuring not less than three square feet; and

(3)           a multiple occupancy cell with three or more inmates shall have a gross window area measuring not less than five square feet.

(e)  Unless natural light is provided to a single cell or multiple occupancy cell as set forth in Paragraph (d) of this Rule, a dayroom contiguous to the single cell or multiple occupancy cell shall have windows to the outdoors. The gross window area of the dayroom shall be equivalent to the sum of two square feet per inmate whose single cell or multiple occupancy cell is contiguous to the dayroom or 48 square feet, whichever is greater. Unless the front of the cell has metal bars, each cell door of the dayroom shall have a view panel with:

(1)           an area measuring not less than three square feet; and

(2)           transparent glazing.

(f)  A dormitory shall have windows to the outdoors with a gross window area measuring not less than two square feet per inmate or 48 square feet, whichever is greater.

(g)  An exterior window that is less than 18 feet above finished floor in a room or area where inmates are located shall be designed and constructed with either the height or width of its framed or barred opening not more than 5 inches in length. For the purposes of this Paragraph, a "framed or barred opening" means the area available for escape after glazing is broken and removed from a window.

(h)  Windows, skylights, or a combination of windows and skylights may be used in dormitories and dayrooms to comply with the requirements of this Rule.

(i)  A solar tubular skylight shall not be used to comply with this Rule. For the purposes of this Rule, a "solar tubular skylight" means a tubular daylighting device that delivers natural light from the outdoors to an interior space that is unreachable by a window and skylight installed in an exterior wall or roof.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 153A‑221;

Eff. June 1, 1990;

Amended Eff. December 1, 1991;

Readopted Eff. September 4, 2020.