CAT/C/39/2 page 60 both the “special stigma” of aggravated violations and the purpose of obtaining information or meting out punishment that would characterize torture. During the visit of the Committee’s delegation to Brazil the national authorities always recognized problems in the conditions of deprivation of freedom, but also expounded the ongoing measures for their solution. 252. The general character of the situation, which affects whole populations in detention centers, the lack of physical and psychological aggression against inmates and the absence of punitive purposes or of obtaining confessions or information indicate that one cannot identify the special degree of severity and the absence of the specific purpose that would define torture. This even more obvious as the State authorities recognize the problem and endeavor to overcome them. A contrary reasoning would lead to the conclusion that the whole system of deprivation of freedom in a given State could be organized with the aim of violating the inmates’ human rights, which is highly unlikely in a democratic society that strives to improve its human rights profile in this issue. “179. Police investigations into alleged acts of torture or ill-treatment have been criticized as ineffective. Abuses by the police in carrying out these investigations are reported to be common. There is a reported lack of willingness by police officers to investigate fellow officers. In this connection, the corporate nature of the corregedorias may lead police officers to be unwilling to investigate their own colleagues. It was repeatedly suggested that it usually takes a long time before information on allegations of torture reaches the Public Prosecutor’s office from the corregedorias and a criminal inquiry is initiated.” 253. The Brazilian Government is keen on the need for the improvement of the internal investigation systems of the police corps. The Ministry of Justice, through its National Public Security Secretariat (SENASP-MJ) held on 30 and 31 May 2006 the National Meeting of Police Corregedores in Brazil, with a view to discussing existing problems and proposing public policies to strengthen the Corregedorias. 254. At the Meeting, it was found that the improvement of the work of the Corregedorias can be reached through the adoption of the following proposals: 1) administrative and financial autonomy; ii) adequate organizational structure; iii) provision of qualification and improvement courser for officers and managers; iv) logistic and human resources (a qualified specific corps of officials, whose number should be equivalent o about 2% of the total number of the institution’s officers; v) adequate regulation of the existing legislation through normative instruments and standardization of procedures; vi) specific penitentiaries for police officers; vii) creation of intelligence and investigation units; viii) exchanges among the Corregedorias; ix) institution of special pay or officials at the Corregedorias; x) creation of the National College of Police Corregedores. 255. SENASP also carried out the first Research on the Organizational Profile of Police Corregedorias,55 whose report should be published soon. This research aimed at deepening knowledge on the structure of existing Police Corregedorias (both general and specific of the 55 The Report of the research will be available at www.mj.gov.br at Pesquisas Estatísticas.