Places of short-Term Deprivation of Liberty them. At more than half the establishments visited there was only one toilet, though at the courthouse complex in Valencia there are 6, all of which may be used by both men and women (4 in the area for convicted prisoners and 2 in that for police detainees). The standards of hygiene and upkeep were satisfactory in general, though it was requested that the conditions of the toilets be improved in A Coruña and Maspalomas (Las Palmas). Each cell in the courthouse building at Plaza de Castilla in Madrid has its own toilet, with toilet bowl and washbasin, though they were found to be in poor condition as regards upkeep and cleanliness. The fact that there are toilets in the cells themselves makes it easier to handle the occupants, as there is no need to escort them elsewhere every time they need to use the toilet, but the lack of privacy that this entails — especially when several persons are being held — is unacceptable for the user and for the remaining occupants, who have to put up with unpleasant smells. It is considered necessary to change the current system and provide toilet facilities outside cells. Sufficient supplies of feminine hygiene products were found to be available, The lack of feminine except at the courthouse cells in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), where hygiene products is only paper from the hand drier was provided. This is unacceptable. unacceptable 242. Legal counsel and consular staff in the case of foreign nationals are allowed Visits from legal counsel & to visit detainees but family and friends are not. consular staff are allowed 243. On many of the inspection visits carried out it was reported that detainees Situations in which were taken to the various courtrooms in the lifts used by the general public and detainees are taken to via public corridors and areas. This must be remedied. At some establishments it was observed that detainees shared the same waiting room as other persons courtrooms via areas used by the general public must be remedied attending the court, which is unacceptable. Special mention must however be made of the courthouse buildings in Ávila and Tafalla (Navarre), and the courthouse complex in Oviedo (Asturias), where detainees are moved via lifts separate from those used by the public. It was reported that on some occasions, when circumstances made it advisable, it was the judge who went to a room adjacent to the cells to avoid detainee movements through the buildings. 244. At half of the establishments visited custodial officers were observed to be Weapons should not be wearing their regulation firearms when they entered the cell areas, often with the carried on access to magazines loaded [e.g. in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas (Las holding areas Palmas), Valladolid and Zaragoza]. Weapons should not be carried on access to holding areas. 245. It was observed on the inspection visits that custodial officers were generally Custodial staff are usually identified by means of their police and other force ID badges, except at the properly identified THE OMBUDSMAN OF SPAIN 107