10 Introduction by the Deputy Ombudsman − responsible for executing the competence of the National Preventive Mechanism T he year 2017 - being the fourth mandate in which the Greek Ombudsman has acted in its special competence as the National Preventive Mechanism under Law 4228/2014 - has been a year of programmed regrouping, operational relaunching and effective intervention of the Mechanism towards protecting human rights in all forms of detention regimes (criminal, administrative, psychiatric or welfare). This development has been facilitated by several economic, programming and organizational measures, namely: The allocation - for the first time - of State funds for the Mechanism (albeit during the second half of the year), which has helped overcome functional obstacles and limitations in mission-related actions, thus stimulating its operational relaunching; The Authority’s central planning for regular monthly visits of its teams in every Region of the country, which has allowed a systematic approach to inspections of detention sites in every Region, by organizing either initial or follow-up visits and ensuring at least one visit per year to each detention site; The reinforcement of the Authority’s experts team with new members, distributed in 4 sub-groups, according to the subject-matter of the monitoring duties of the Mechanism (Prisons, Spaces of administrative detention: police / coastguard detention spaces and pre-removal Centers for third country nationals, Involuntary psychiatric treatment units, Welfare institutions). This has facilitated both the thorough monitoring of different detention regimes, and the exchange of feedback between sub-groups, allowing the comprehensive perception of the challenges related to the implementation of deprivation of liberty measures in our country, as well as to the protection of the subjects’ rights. In this context, the National Preventive Mechanism has gradually consolidated its mandate as an external monitoring body of detention conditions nationally and has at the same time been established as a valid counterpart of the administration concerning prevention of breaches to prisoners’ rights. Moreover, the Authority’s extensive experience in exercising its general and