Implementation of the Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2012 Visits to police stations Twenty police stations (“PS”) were visited in Slovenia in 2012: PS Ormož, PS Gorišnica, PS Šentrjur, PS Rače, PS Rogaška Slatina, PS Podlehnik, Border Police Station (“BPS”) Gruškovje, BPS Bistrica ob Sotli, PS Ljutomer, PS Murska Sobota, PS Lendava, PS Metlika, PS Črnomelj, PS Žalec, PS Velenje, PS Mozirje, PS Kozina, PS Piran, PS Krško and PS Sevnica. During this year’s visits, it was again observed that police officers were wellinformed of the NPM’s duties and powers which enabled smooth operations. All visits were unannounced, and carried out in the morning or afternoon. After each visit a report with findings together with recommendations was prepared by the group and sent to the Ministry of the Interior and the relevant police station or the border police station where the supervision was carried out. Reports on visits were developed on the basis of the inspection of detention rooms, interviews with the police station management and detainees and on the basis of the inspection of documentation in regard to the detention of persons. The Ministry of the Interior regularly replied to the NPM’s reports, in most cases agreed with the findings and assured that some deficiencies had already been eliminated and that improvements were envisaged. Visits to police stations continued to proceed under the established order: firstly, the group composed of the representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office and representatives of one or two NGOs under contract inspected all detention rooms including the auxiliary rooms (such as, reception area, room for foreigners and lawyers, warehouse, recreation yard). During the general examination of police stations, the attention was also drawn to parking places for clients, the signage of parking places, particularly in regard to the appropriate access for the disabled, whilst also inspecting the changing rooms for police officers in terms of their potential separation for men and women. This was followed by the inspection of intervention vehicles (if present at the police station during the visit) and then it was time for the interview with the police station management (mostly with the commander, assistant commander or duty officer) when the documentation concerning detention of some randomly selected cases (files) was also inspected. Upon each visit, statistical data on the number of persons detained and held at the police stations visited in 2012 was obtained (covering the period from 1st January to the day of the visit). Basic data on detention rooms The number of detention rooms differs from one police station to another; there are from one to six detention rooms, for shorter (up to 12 hours) and longer (up to 48 hours) periods of detention. In some police stations visited there are no detention rooms (PS Žalec, PS Mozirje, PS Šentjur pri Celju, PS Rače, BPS Gruškovje, BPS Bistrica ob Sotli) which is why detention takes place in other police stations. In most cases, access to detention rooms is possible not only through the main entrance but also directly through a courtyard (in an intervention vehicle) while in some stations (PS Črnomelj), access to the detention room located in the ground floor is possible only through the main entrance past the police officer on duty. In the NPM’s assessment, access to the detention room in the cellar of the PS Ljutomer, is poor because its access, both across the courtyard as well as through the main entrance, is possible only by a staircase. When examining the detention rooms, the focus was primarily on proper equipment, the labelling and size of rooms, proper lighting of rooms (daylight and artificial light), proper temperature, ventilation and cleanliness of rooms, toilets, access to drinking water, food supply, video surveillance of rooms and the option to make telephone calls, equipment of rooms with information and brochures on the rights of detained persons, the possibility for outdoor exercise and smoking (and staying in non-smoking rooms), regulation of complaints procedures and the correct video-surveillance of toilets. 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 31