National Preventive Mechanism Third Annual Report 2011–12 Expectations 1 Monitoring bodies should be independent of the authorities visited/ inspected and of the government. OPCAT Articles 17, 18(1) 2 Monitoring bodies should be impartial. SPT Guidelines 18, 19, 30 3 Monitoring bodies should have the right to publish their findings and to make recommendations for the purpose of preventing ill-treatment and improving standards in detention. OPCAT Articles 19(b), (c); SPT Guidelines 36 4 Monitoring bodies should have unfettered access to places of detention. Access should be granted even where monitoring bodies arrive unannounced. OPCAT Articles 20(c), (e); SPT Guidelines 25 5 Monitoring bodies should have unfettered access to all detainees and to information about them. OPCAT Article 20 6 The voice of the detainee is an essential component of any monitoring of places of detention. OPCAT Article 20(d) 7 There must be a focus on the prevention of ill-treatment. OPCAT Articles 1, 3 12 8 All places of detention should be monitored regularly. OPCAT Articles 1, 19(a) 9 Monitoring bodies should set their own criteria against which they monitor the treatment of and conditions for detainees. SPT Guidelines 12 10 Criteria for monitoring should be firmly grounded in human rights standards and should be transparent. OPCAT Article 19(b) 11 Monitoring bodies should be sufficiently resourced to perform their role. OPCAT Article 18(3) 12 The remit of monitoring bodies should be set out in statute. SPT Guidelines 7 13 The staff of monitoring bodies should be recruited and appointed in an open and fair manner. SPT Guidelines 16 14 Monitoring bodies should promote and encourage respect for diversity, both in their own workforce and when monitoring places of detention. OPCAT Article 18(2); SPT on Prevention 5( j)