MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NGOS 15 1. INTRODUCTION THE PROTECTION OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF THEIR LIBERTY Monitoring detention conditions forms an integral part of the system for protecting persons who are deprived of their liberty. Any State that is concerned with ensuring that human rights are respected in this field should possess, or establish, a system of this kind. The protection of persons deprived of their freedom can be ensured by: 1. a national legal framework which has integrated the protection standards established by international law: that is, the adoption of corresponding laws and regulations which provide the framework for government policies and directives. 2. effective implementation of this legal framework in the maintenance of law and order, in legal practice, and in the organisation and handling of persons deprived of their liberty. This involves: ■ a clearly stated and widely disseminated political will to implement the legal framework; ■ human resources trained according to sound codes of professional ethics; ■ financial and material resources.