Once police have arrested a suspect, they must immediately place him or her in a recognized jail under judicial police custody. Judicial police have seven days to carry out investigations before charging a suspect with a crime; in exceptional cases, they may request a seven-day extension from the prosecutor. At the end of this period, police must either release a suspect or file charges, at which point the detainee should be transferred to a prison and the investigation should be taken over by the Prosecutor’s office. Once a suspect has been charged, she or he must be brought before a judge for an initial hearing within 15 days.