5. Changes following visits

The special report only deals with some of the most important findings, proposals and recommendations for the treatment of convicted persons serving prison sentences, remand detainees and the inmates of the Correctional Home for young persons. The appendix contains the reports on visits made to individual prisons and to the Radec e Correctional Home. Each visit report tries to include all the essential issues to which we drew the attention of those we spoke to ‘on the spot’ and to whom at the same time we proposed a way of resolving or doing away with the problems or irregularities we identified. Some proposals and recommendations are of such a nature that they could be realised immediately, while others require more time and perhaps also a corresponding change in the normative regulation. The time for such changes is now, while the draft of the new ZIKS is undergoing its first reading.

By way of illustration we present below some examples of opinions, proposals and recommendations accepted or taken into account during our visits to prisons and to the Radec e Correctional Home.

The UIKS guaranteed that it will see to the improvement of ventilation in solitary cells at the Radec e Correctional Home, the better padding of protective walls and floors in padded cells, and the installation in these cells of a bell by means of which the young person can call a warder.

The UIKS dealt with the case of the use of forcible measures against a young person at the Radec e Correctional Home and the case of the removal of a petition from remand detainees at a meeting with the management staff of the two institutions concerned. It sent the two institutions extensive written material on its findings and its assessment of their actions from the point of view of legality. It also ordered concrete measures for the removal of the identified irregularities..

Work has begun at Ljubljana Prison on the arrangement of a room for remand detainees to work in. Before this a survey was conducted among remand detainees to establish the level of interest in work. At the same institution a study has acceded to the possibility of a more suitable method of exercise in the fresh air for remand detainees and the equipping of a fitness room. The right-hand part of the track will thus be used for exercising, running and so on, and the left-hand part for walking. Exercise in the fresh air is divided into two parts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which conforms to the wishes of the majority of remand detainees.

Dental care is now organised in a uniform way for both remand detainees and prisoners. A dentist is available to persons in custody once a week. All other urgent dental operations and services are provided for remand detainees in a dental surgery outside the institution at other times.

With regard to the method of handing court mail to remand detainees, Ljubljana Prison has reached an agreement with the competent courts. Court mail is generally delivered in sealed envelopes which a member of the prison staff hands to the addressees according to the prescribed procedure.

With regard to the more suitable distribution of meals, Ljubljana Prison has sought a solution by which all remand detainees are served food at a suitable temperature.

Ljubljana Prison is studying the possibility of more frequent showers for remand detainees. Toilet articles are provided for all those who do not have them. On admission to detention, remand detainees are now given soap which they can use in their living quarters.

The broken drying machine at Ljubljana Prison has been sent for repair since our visit so that the problem of drying laundry can be solved.

At the Radovljica facility more frequent baths or showers have been organised for persons in custody. In summer time bed linen is changed once a week.

In order to solve the problem of overcrowding, the Radovljica facility has fitted out an additional living quarter to house remand detainees.

The education service at Dob Prison has since our visit been reinforced by four teachers, a social worker and a psychologist. By order of the director of the UIKS an employee who is currently completing her university studies in social work has been assigned to the post of head of the education and counselling service.

Dob Prison has introduced a library rule according to which those regulations of which the library only has a few copies may not be removed from the library. In this way these regulations are always available to prisoners in the library.

Dob Prison has passed several security measures designed to prevent violence among inmates. It has helped one injured party who was the victim of an attack by a fellow inmate to make a damages claim.

At a meeting between the UIKS and Dob Prison it was agreed to devote more attention to the provision of funds for education and the purchase of appropriate equipment. In December 1998 Dob Prison employed a teacher to see to the education of prisoners. At the same time the prison is studying the services and programmes of educational organisations in Novo Mesto and Trebnje.

Dob Prison has reached an agreement on hairdressing services with an outside contractor. A hairdresser is available to prisoners once a week.

Dob Prison is adjusting the time of departure and arrival of prisoners making use of the privilege of leaving the institution such that they correspond to changes in bus and train timetables, thus influencing the duration of outings from the prison.

The UIKS has ordered the house rules of all prisons to be translated into English. This will enable foreign prisoners to acquaint themselves with the regulation of life and work during the serving of prison sentences.

The walking track by the sports ground at Dob Prison has been strewn with sand. When weather conditions permit, the track will be completely renovated.