The entrance to Rikers Island is seen in New York, Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the chief of the International Monetary Fund, spent Monday night at infamous Rikers Island, after he was... (Associated Press) 
 
 Guards at New York City's massive Rikers Island jail complex are taking unusual precautions to make sure IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn doesn't come to any harm behind bars. 
 
 The 62-year-old banker and diplomat has a whole jail wing to himself, a medical device to make sure he doesn't stop breathing during the night and guards checking him 24 hours a day to make sure he doesn't kill himself. 
 
 Since his arraignment Monday on charges that he tried to rape a hotel maid, Strauss-Kahn has been held at Rikers Island, home to thousands of prisoners serving short sentences or inmates awaiting trial. 
 
 Because of his stature, Strauss-Kahn has been assigned to a facility at the jail that normally houses inmates with very contagious diseases, like measles or tuberculosis. 
 
 Department of Correction spokesman Stephen Morello said Strauss-Kahn has been placed in a wing with about 14 cells, all of which are empty except for his. He has his cell to himself, and there is a toilet and sink in the cell. He takes his meals there as well, with breakfast at 5 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m. and dinner at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. 
 
 All inmates arriving at Rikers Island are given a mental health assessment to determine whether they might pose a suicide risk. 
 
 Norman Seabrook, president of the union that represents corrections officers, said Strauss-Kahn did or said something during that evaluation that made doctors concerned. As a result, he is being monitored day and night. 
 
 A law enforcement official confirmed that Strauss-Kahn had been placed on a suicide watch. 
 
 The official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of prisoner medical information, said Strauss-Kahn had not tried to harm himself and appeared to be in good condition. 
 
 Seabrook said Strauss-Kahn has also been issued a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, or CPAP, because he suffers from sleep apnea, a common condition that can cause a person to stop breathing for short periods during the night. The patient wears a mask that delivers extra air while they sleep. 
 
 Morello said Strauss-Kahn will be free to leave his cell from time to time and wander the wing, and can leave the building for an hour each day for recreation outdoors, if he chooses. When he does, he will be accompanied by guards and won't encounter other inmates. 
 
 As a pre-trial detainee, Strauss-Kahn isn't required to wear a prison uniform. He may bring his own clothing and wear what he chooses in his cell, whether it be designer suits, or something more casual. There are two exceptions: First, he has had to give up his shoes. All prisoners are required to wear standard-issue, lightweight, slip-on sneakers (although he is allowed to don regular dress shoes for court appearances, if he wishes). Secondly, to see visitors, he is required to put his civilian garb aside and don a gray jumpsuit, specially designed without pockets or other hiding places where contraband could be stashed. 
 
 Prisoners at Rikers Island are not given an inmate number like in the movies, but are identified by a statewide criminal justice system code that sticks with them for life, even if they are incarcerated later somewhere else. Strauss-Kahn's NYSID number is 09132366L. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press video producer Matt Friedman in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| The International Monetary Fund chief accused of sexually assaulting a Manhattan hotel maid is on suicide watch in his Rikers Island cell, NBC New York has learned. 
 
 The special designation for Dominique Strauss-Kahn means he is checked every 15 to 30 minutes and has been given a special prison jumpsuit and shoes that have no laces, a source tells NBC New York. 
 
 The source says a Rikers medical official ordered the suicide watch as a precaution because of his mood and the delicate nature of the case; Strauss-Kahn has not made statements about hurting himself, the source said. 
 
 "While inmate health records are confidential under the law... the Department of Correction follows the same protocol for safety and security of all inmates and that protocol dictates that every inmate is assessed for risk of harm to himself and risk of harm to others," a correction department spokesman said. 
 
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 Strauss-Kahn was arraigned Monday on charges including attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. 
 
 His lawyer denies the charges and says there is no evidence of a forced encounter. 
 
 Strauss-Kahn is being held without bail before his next court appearance, scheduled for Friday. 
 
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 The maid's lawyer told NBC New York on Tuesday that her life has been turned "upside down" from the ordeal and says she is in hiding. 
 
 Strauss-Kahn is a member of France's Socialist party and was widely considered the strongest potential challenger to President Nicolas Sarkozy next year. 
 
 Follow Jonathan Dienst on Twitter 
 
 @Jonathan4NY 
 
 and us @NBCNewYork, and on Facebook/NBCNewYork, and sign up for breaking news SMS alerts on your phone by texting "NYBREAKING" to 639710. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Strauss-Kahn refused bail on charges of trying to rape maid 
 
 IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been remanded in custody at New York's notorious Rikers Island jail on charges of sexual assault. 
 
 The judge said Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was a flight risk. He was arrested on Saturday after boarding a plane and accused of trying to rape a hotel maid. 
 
 He faces seven charges and could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. 
 
 Mr Strauss-Kahn, who had been seen as a favourite in France's 2012 presidential elections, denies the charges. 
 
 His lawyer expressed disappointment at bail being denied, but said his client would be exonerated. 
 
 "This battle has just begun," defence lawyer Benjamin Brafman told the court. 
 
 Mr Strauss-Kahn had been due to attend an EU finance ministers' meeting in Brussels to discuss financial bail-outs. 
 
 The IMF has played a central role in organising rescue packages for the troubled economies of Portugal and Greece. 
 
 The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says the IMF chief has gained the trust of countries in Europe which are giving financial assistance, and those which are receiving it. 
 
 The European Union says the scandal should not affect bail-outs for eurozone countries. 
 
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 Jean-Claude Junker, the Luxembourg prime minister said: "I am very sad and upset. He is a friend of mine... Mr Strauss-Kahn is in the hands of American justice, it's not up to us to comment on this, but it makes me deeply, deeply sad." 
 
 French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde described Mr Strauss-Kahn's predicament was "crushing and painful". 
 
 Analysis Dominique Strauss-Kahn is no ordinary inmate at Rikers Island. The jail, situated on the edge of New York City is home to gang-members and criminals, convicted of some of the most serious crimes. It's been the scene of movies and TV crime dramas. The head of the IMF will be held on his own, and guards will watch over him 24 hours a day, for his own security. Low-risk offenders in the jail normally share cells with dozens of other inmates. We understand the routine and conditions of Mr Strauss-Kahn to be just like anyone else. He'll apparently be woken at 0600 every day, with one hour of recreational time. And the food will be a far cry from any Manhattan hotel menu. 
 
 The IMF said in a statement that it had been briefed on the charges against its managing director, and that it would "continue to monitor developments". 
 
 Prosecutors told the court it was not the first time Mr Strauss-Kahn had been involved in such an incident and argued he had been arrested attempting to flee the country. 
 
 Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyer Benjamin Brafman contested this, saying the defendant had not tried to flee the scene and was actually rushing for a lunch appointment. 
 
 He added that Mr Strauss-Kahn later called the hotel to say he was at the airport and had left a mobile phone in his room. 
 
 The defence offered to post $1m (£617,000) bail, with Mr Strauss-Kahn to stay at his daughter's address in New York until the next hearing on Friday. 
 
 However, Judge Melissa Jackson rejected the application. 
 
 "When I hear your client was at JFK airport about to board a flight, that raises some concerns," Ms Jackson said. 
 
 The charges relate to an alleged assault at the Times Square Sofitel hotel in New York. 
 
 Charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn Criminal sexual act in the first degree, two counts (maximum sentence 25 years) 
 
 Attempted rape in the first degree, one count (up to 15 years) 
 
 Sexual abuse in the first degree, one count (up to seven years) 
 
 Unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, one count (up to one year) 
 
 Forcible touching, one count (up to one year) 
 
 Sexual abuse in the third degree, one count (up to three months) Source: New York County District Attorney's Office New York DA's news release on charges 
 
 According to the New York Police Department, a 32-year-old maid told officers that when she entered his suite on Saturday afternoon, Mr Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her and sexually assaulted her. 
 
 The woman was able to break free and alert the authorities, a NYPD spokesman added. 
 
 Later on Saturday Mr Strauss-Kahn was detained on board an Air France flight at New York's John F Kennedy airport minutes before take-off. 
 
 The IMF chief underwent medical examinations on Sunday. Police were looking for scratches or any other evidence of his alleged assault. 
 
 He was later charged with a "criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment and attempted rape". Police say the maid formally identified him in a line-up. 
 
 'Thunderbolt' 
 
 Until he was arrested, Mr Strauss-Kahn was considered a favourite to become the Socialist candidate for the French presidency next year. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Writer Tristane Banon alleges Mr Strauss-Kahn assaulted her in 2002 
 
 Opinion polls gave him a good chance of defeating President Nicolas Sarkozy. 
 
 Socialist party president Martine Aubry described his arrest as a "thunderbolt" but called for Mr Strauss-Kahn to be presumed innocent. 
 
 Mr Strauss-Kahn's wife, French TV personality Anne Sinclair, has also protested his innocence. 
 
 Meanwhile, another allegation against Mr Strauss-Kahn has emerged. A French writer says she may file a complaint for an alleged sexual assault in 2002. 
 
 Tristane Banon, 31, says Mr Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her when she went to interview him for a book she was writing. 
 
 "We're planning to make a complaint," Ms Banon's lawyer told AFP news agency. Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have so far not responded to the allegation.
– 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.