Visits to – inspections of prisons On 22.1.2014, a team of experts of the Ombudsman visited Cassandra Agricultural prison. It was the first visit to an agricultural prison and the Ombudsman stressed the need for strategic planning for agricultural prisons and of laying down the internal operation regulations for the support of the institution but also for the decongestion of other prisons of the state. Furthermore, the Ombudsman highlighted the need for improving the building facilities, staffing with specialized personnel, strengthening the role of the prison guards and elaborating education and vocational training programs. On 6.2.2014, a team of experts of the Ombudsman visited Ioannina prison, having also visited the particular prison twice in the past (2000, 2009), analytically recording its observations and submitting relevant improvement proposals. It must be pointed out, that there are four (4) decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Greek state for violation of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely inhuman and degrading treatment mainly due to the overpopulation, of the Ioannina prison. However, despite the fact that some measures have already been taken for the decrease in the number of prisoners, the Ombudsman has not seen any further changes in the prison infrastructures and operation, as recommended in its reports and the ECHR decisions. On 7.10.2014, a team of experts of the Ombudsman visited for the first time Chios prison. Apart from the analytical recording of the infrastructures and human resources (personnel and prisoners), the team cooperated with the prison’s officials and also discussed with the prisoners. It then drew findings – conclusions and submitted respected improvement proposals regarding the living conditions, meals, health care, building improvements, education and entertainment, regular leaves, disciplinary measures. A crucial point of general concern is the number of judgments of ECHR for detention conditions in prisons and police premises of the state. However, the ECHR judgments, the reports and public statement of CPT but also the Ombudsman’s reports seem to fail in leading to major changes, as quite often the authorities raise the argument of the scarcity of available resources. The Ombudsman, however, believes that: • Any scarcity of resources should not lead to the violation of the hard core of the prisoners’ rights in any detention premises • It is urgent to evaluate the penitentiary system of the country in the light of a “holistic” review of the operation of the criminal system and the interaction of its constituent parts, namely the legislative one (sentencing system), the judicial (gravity and type of sentences) and the penitentiary (detention conditions). • It is urgent to review the terms and conditions for the imposition of administrative detention on irregular immigrants and asylum seekers as well as its reasonable duration.