MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NGOS II - THE VISIT 55 METHODOLOGY 1. THE PRINCIPLES WHICH SHOULD GOVERN THE WORK IN THE PLACE OF DETENTION NGO’ S Monitoring the conditions of detention of persons deprived of their freedom is a delicate task. For reasons both of ethics and of efficiency, those conducting visits must respect a number of principles. 1.1. Unequivocal behaviour (or correspondence between what one says and what one does) The reasoning behind monitoring conditions of detention is based on the need for transparency. In addition to demanding transparency of the authorities and officials in charge, this demand must also apply to the behaviour of those conducting visits. The very nature of their work means that, at all levels of the hierarchy, the staff in charge of keeping watch over persons deprived of their liberty (in particular in places of detention under the responsibility of the police forces and penal administration) develop a professional culture which is dominated by the security aspects of detention; the corollary of this concern is a generalised distrust toward people from outside. The behaviour of the NGO during its visit will, in turn, be scrutinised by the officials working there. It must therefore be beyond all reproach. The members of the visiting team must, in particular, make sure to: ■ explain clearly their objectives and working methods and carry out the visit accordingly;