135 1. mandate, principles and goals 1.1. MANDATE The mandate of the Preventive Mechanism for monitoring places of detention of persons deprived of liberty (hereinafter: Preventive Mechanism), comes within the legal authority of the Protector of Citizens (Law on the Protector of Citizens, “Official Gazette of the RS”, no.79/2005 and 54/2007) laid down in the Protector of Citizens’ Decision on Establishment of Preventive Mechanism for monitoring places of detention of persons deprived of liberty, reg.no. 4846, of 2 July 2009. The Preventive Mechanism conducts monitoring of places of detention of persons deprived of liberty. Monitoring places of detention of persons deprived of liberty includes continuous and systematic gathering, checking and processing of data, as well as determining the situation in institutions concerning respect of rights of persons deprived of liberty and with regard to that recommending adequate measures. Monitoring places of detention of persons deprived of liberty is first of all conducted by visiting those institutions, as well as by collecting information on the status of persons deprived of liberty in those institutions in any other way, particularly from: the reports of these institutions (e.g. filled-in questionnaires); findings of other subjects that conducted monitoring of these institutions; other activities of the Protector of Citizens; media etc. Preventive Mechanism is entitled to: 1. Unimpeded and unannounced visits to institutions 2. Unrestricted access to all institutional premises 3. Unrestricted and unsupervised interview with all persons deprived of liberty 4. Unrestricted and unsupervised interview with the personnel 5. Unrestricted access to all records, regardless of degree of confidentiality 6. Unrestricted copying of documentation, regardless of degree of confidentiality Agreement on bringing of camera and taking of photographs is worked out with the management of institution 1.2. PRINCIPLES Principles of functioning of the Preventive Mechanism are set out by the Protector of Citizens’ Decision on Establishment of Preventive Mechanism, as well as by other generally accepted monitoring principles: do no harm, act strictly according to the law, respect management and personnel of the institution, adhere to the house rules of the institution and comply with internal rules, respect established competences and internal job assignments in the institution, do not become involved in existing interpersonal conflicts in institution, treat all contacted persons in a polite manner, demonstrate respectful attitude towards the institution that one presents, act in accordance with the set goal of visit following the determined method of work, respect the hierarchy and special assignments of the monitoring team members, act in coordination with other monitoring team members, demonstrate professional behaviour, do not deal with circumstances that are outside the competence, respect interlocutor’s integrity, avoid any partiality, draw attention to the confidentiality of interview, show empathy for suffering that