MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NGOS TABLE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 11 CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 EDITOR’S NOTE .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 FORWARD .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 SELECTED ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 8 ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Chapter I: Monitoring places of detention in context ......................................................... 1. The protection of persons deprived of their liberty ............................................................ 1.1 Deprivation of liberty .................................................................................................................................. 1.2 Protection of persons deprived of liberty ............................................................................ 2. Monitoring places of detention through visits .......................................................................... 2.1 What is meant by monitoring places of detention? ................................................. 2.2 The importance of monitoring ........................................................................................................ 2.3 Visiting places of detention—the main tool for monitoring ...................... 3. Basic principles of monitoring places of detention .......................................................... 19 21 21 22 24 24 24 26 27 Chapter II: Bodies monitoring places of detention ................................................................. 1. Visiting at the national level .......................................................................................................................... 1.1 Internal inspections ........................................................................................................................................ 1.2 Judicial inspections ........................................................................................................................................ 1.3 Independent external monitoring .................................................................................................. 2. Visiting mechanisms at the international and regional level .................................. 3. The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture ............................. 3.1 The sub-committee to the cat ............................................................................................................. 3.2 National preventive mechanisms under the OPCAT ............................................ 3.2.1 Setting up or designation of national preventive mechanisms 3.2.2 Form of national preventive mechanisms ...................................................... 33 35 36 36 37 38 42 42 44 44 45 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION