Implementation of the Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2012 Implementation of THE Duties and Powers Of The National Preventive Mechanism in 2012 Introduction Under the Act Ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 114/06, International Treaties, No. 20/6 - the Optional Protocol), the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia (“the Ombudsman”) carries out duties and has powers under the National Preventive Mechanism (“the NPM”), and, in agreement with the Ombudsman, this is also done by selected non-governmental organisations registered in the Republic in Slovenia and organisations with the status of humanitarian organisations in the Republic of Slovenia which are concerned with the protection of human rights or fundamental freedoms. When implementing its duties and powers, the NPM visits locations in the Republic of Slovenia where persons have been deprived of their liberty and in this manner verifies the treatment of persons who have been deprived of their liberty in order to strengthen their protection against torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. While taking into consideration legal norms, the NPM makes recommendations to relevant bodies to improve conditions and treatment of these persons and prevent torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. It may also submit proposals and comments on the applicable or proposed laws. In the Republic of Slovenia, the regular places for the deprivation of liberty are particularly the following: • • • • • • • • prisons with all their units and Radeče Correctional Facility, juvenile institutions, social care institutions (nursing homes) and special social care institutions, psychiatric hospitals, detention rooms, the Aliens Centre and the Asylum Centre, detention rooms operated by the Slovenian Armed Forces all other places within the meaning of Article 4 of the Optional Protocol (for example, police intervention vehicles, and similar). Pursuant to a public call to tender, published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 103/2011 of 16 December 2001, the following organisations were selected for cooperation in 2012 and 2013 (with the option of a renewal of the cooperation for another year): the Legal Information Centre of NGOs – PIC (“PIC”), the Slovenian Red Cross (RKS) and the Primus Institute (Primus) – all three were chosen again, while the Slovenian Federation of Pensioners’ Organisations (“ZDUS”) and Novi paradoks (“NP”) were newly chosen. In 2012, 46 visits were performed (of these, 37 were not announced and 9 were announced), thereby fully realising all the visits planned in the programme. 9 institutions were visited where people serving prison sentences and detainees are accommodated (8 prisons and a correctional facility), 20 police stations, the Asylum Centre in Ljubljana and the Aliens Centre in Postojna, 2 psychiatric institutions, 2 special social care institutions. 6 nursing homes, 4 juvenile facilities and detention rooms under the control of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Of this number, 43 visits were one-day visits, and three of them lasted for two days (Dob pri Mirni Prison, Maribor Prison and Ljubljana Prison). Over the year 16 institutions were visited in spring, 7 in the summer, 13 in autumn and 10 in winter. National Preventive Mechanism in the Republic of Slovenia under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 7