of radicalisation. For this reason the Committee recommends that the authorities review their treatment of prisoners considered at risk of being radicalised or of radicalising others. The French authorities’ response gives a detailed description of the strategy and measures deployed and envisaged to prevent or counter the effects of radicalisation in French prisons. 33. The Committee also raises its serious concern about the situation of inmates receiving treatment in hospital in unacceptable conditions, such as extensive resort to ankle-cuffs and the frequent presence of escorting custodial staff, including during surgery or childbirth. In response, the French authorities give a detailed account of the policy in place for the practical operation of prisoners’ hospital visits, and also refer to the setting-up of a working group bringing together penitentiary and public health officials which will carry out a study on the use of ankle- and hand-cuffs and the presence of custodial staff during medical or gynaecological consultations. 34. In its report the CPT also recommends action to prevent excessive use of force by prison staff in the hospital psychiatric ward designed for prisoners (UHSA - unité hospitalière spécialement aménagée) in Toulouse. 35. The CPT welcomes the establishment of treatment plans for each individual patient in psychiatric establishments, but it raises questions about the relatively high level of psychotropic medication delivered to some patients in Albi psychiatric ward for challenging patients (UMD – unité pour malades difficiles). In response, the French authorities acknowledge the difficulty of treating certain patients who have developed increased resistance to certain psychotropic drugs and present a high risk, and commit to pursuing their efforts to reduce the use of combined psychotropic drugs. 36. The frequency and length of mechanical restraint (without proper medical supervision) is also of concern in the psychiatric establishments visited by the CPT’s delegation. Welcoming the introduction of legislation on means of restraint, the Committee regrets, however, that the text makes no reference to chemical restraint. 37. The CPT visited for the first time in France a long-term care institution for the elderly, the Marcel Riser facility (Gérard Marchant hospital). One of the recommendations contained in the report concerns the improvement of living conditions for residents. In their response the French authorities describe the improved conditions to be afforded in the new facility, on which construction began in September 2016 and to which residents would be transferred as of March 2018. Report and response published in April 2017 (CPT/Inf(2017)7 and CPT/Inf(2017)8) Report on the periodic visit to Germany in November-December 2015 and response of the German authorities (situation of persons in police custody, in prison and in civil or forensic psychiatric institutions in several Länder) 38. Overall the CPT’s report praises progress made to improve the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, but also finds striking contrasts between Publication highlights ► Page 17