MONITORING METHODOLOGY The available information: ʺʺ Number of complaints registered by external complaint mechanisms (both large numbers or complete lack of complaints); ʺʺ Press articles or research studies reporting conditions of living, treatment, allegations or cases of abuse, etc.; ʺʺ Information received from other sources, such as other national or international visiting bodies. Sample: ʺʺ Places deemed to be most representative of the different kind of facilities where children are deprived of their liberty in the country See – Section 2.1. – p.23; ʺʺ Other places, for instance those not frequently visited, less accessible or not traditionally related to detention (hospitals, immigration centres, drug rehabilitation units, etc.); ʺʺ Cross selection of different kinds of places of deprivation of liberty and/or different children (younger and older, boys and girls, on remand and convicted, with mental health problems or with disabilities, etc.). 4 E. DEFINING THE NATURE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF THE MONITORING VISITS Visiting places where children are deprived of their liberty is the main source of information and most effective tool of monitoring. Different types of visits may take place and will be carried out differently notably in terms of timing and frequency, depending on their nature and purpose. Nature-Function Two important distinctions can be made between preventive visits and investigative visits, and within preventive ones, between in-depth and snapshot visits. Preventive visits can take place at any time, generally on a regular basis. They are pro-active and do not attempt to respond to individual cases. Their focus is to prevent any violation or abuse of children’s rights, analyse (from a holistic perspective) the place of deprivation of liberty as a system and assess all aspects 51