IMF Chief On Suicide Watch

It's a long way from the hotel suites he's used to, but Dominique Strauss-Kahn still has plenty of space to himself. The IMF chief is being held at Rikers Island on sexual assault charges in an empty 14-cell wing of the massive jail, reports AP. He has been placed on suicide watch and issued a medical device to make sure he doesn't stop breathing during the night. The suicide watch was ordered as a precaution, not because Strauss-Kahn seems likely to harm himself, a source tells NBC.

Because of his status, the Frenchman was assigned to a facility usually used to house inmates with extremely contagious diseases. Officials say Strauss-Kahn is free to leave his cell and wander the wing from time to time. He is allowed to go outside for recreation for an hour once a day, accompanied by guards, in a spot where he won't encounter other inmates. As a pre-trial detainee, he is not required to wear a prison uniform. (More Dominique Strauss Kahn stories.)