confinement. At the same time, we requested that individual treatment sessions during the
period of applying these measures should be urgently intensified.
During the visit we performed three anonymous surveys for juveniles, caretakers and judicial
police officers. The staff members are extremely dissatisfied with space-related working
conditions (for example, inability of spatial separation of juveniles according to the severity
of their behaviour disorder) and express the need for different work organisation. A positive
attitude toward the job they are doing was emphasized in the survey. No one listed the
existence of any kind of abuse of juveniles by staff members, but most of them are aware of
the existence of psychological abuse among juveniles and of their own inability to provide
full protection from such abuse.
The surveyed juveniles mostly complained about the amount of food per meal and being
exposed to psychological abuse from other beneficiaries, while a smaller number of them also
mentioned physical abuse from other juveniles (they did not ask officers for help out of fear
of being called a "snitch"). Their proposals include the need for a clearer organisational
structure of free time (more leisure activities and the like), separation of violent juveniles
from others, introduction of clearer rules and higher discipline. In addition, a larger part of
juveniles expressed their trust in caretakers and judicial police officers and consider that they
would protect them if asked for help.
With regard to complaints concerning the abuse among juveniles, the head of the prison was
given a verbal recommendation on the necessity of spatial separation of juveniles according to
the severity of their behaviour disorder and on ensuring the everyday presence of caretakers in
the wards.
b) Glina State Prison
During the visit to Glina State Prison we inspected the facilities where persons deprived of
their liberty stay or may stay (dormitories, bathrooms, living rooms, TV rooms, kitchen and
dining-room, rooms for visitors without surveillance, specially secured rooms devoid of
dangerous objects, the so called "rubber-rooms", music room, library, exercise areas, walking
areas, working spaces, vehicles, etc.) We also inspected all the facilities and wards and
interviewed persons deprived of their liberty and employees. The occupancy rate of the State
Prison is 75%, which places this State Prison in a small group of penal institutions in the
Republic of Croatia that are not overcrowded. When considering that most of the prisoners are
accommodated in a building that was constructed about two years ago, with the capacity of
420 persons, it may be concluded that, in general, the accommodation conditions are in
compliance with international and legal standards.
During the visit, a practice of restraining all prisoners during escort, regardless of whether
they are placed in a medium security ward or serve their sentence in high security wards, was
established. The State Prison's officers explained that reasons for such treatment arise from
organisational problems. Whilst taking account of organisational difficulties, such practice is