Preventing Torture An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions cases directly to more senior officials. The final talk should also mention the steps that will follow the visit, including the preparation of a written report of the visit which will be sent to the relevant authorities. The Ombudsman of Peru (Defensoría del Pueblo) conducts regular, unannounced visits to the 1,000 police stations and 84 prisons in the country. Some police stations, such as those in areas with a high crime rate and where many complaints were received, are visited more frequently than others. These visits are sometimes carried out at night or on the weekend. In addition, the Ombudsman may also carry out visits to military bases, mental health institutions and centres of administrative detention. Watch Go to the Preventing Torture CD-Rom to watch Dr Silvia Casale, former President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and former Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, discussing the steps involved in undertaking an effective preventive visit to a place of detention. Click on ‘Feature materials’ and then select ‘Item 13 – Undertaking a preventive visit to a place of detention’. 3. After the visit 3.1. Reporting The visit is not an end in itself but rather the first step in a long-term process of improving the treatment of detainees and the conditions of detention. Visits should be followed by credible reports addressed to the relevant authorities, which include practical recommendations for change. 3.1.1. Internal reporting NHRIs should develop a standard reporting format for visits to places of detention. These notes provide a clear, fact-based account of the visit and contribute to the development of institutional knowledge. They are particularly important when NHRIs plan thematic reports that cover several visits. 3.1.2. Visit report Visit reports are usually confidential and addressed to the person in charge of the facility visited. They should be prepared shortly after the visit and not be unnecessarily long. A good report will be structured thematically and, when discussing areas of concern, include the facts found, an analysis of the problem and the proposed recommendations. Visit reports can also be sent to the higher authorities (such as the relevant government department or ministry) and eventually made public. When reports are made public, they should be easily accessible and widely disseminated. It is important to ensure that the reports do not disclose confidential information or any information that may result in a risk of harm to the person who provided the information. 3.1.3. Thematic reports In addition to their reports on specific visits, NHRIs can also prepare thematic reports that consider specific issues (for instance, medical services or police violence) over a certain period of time and across different types of places of detention. This approach provides a more analytical view that can help identify patterns of problems and highlight contributing factors in different places. They should also 90 | Chapter 8: Monitoring places of detention