MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE 68 Different criteria can be applied – in isolation or in combination – in prioritising and choosing places to visit: The risks, potential or actual, to which people deprived of their liberty are exposed: ■ places of detention where persons are interrogated; ■ particularly vulnerable detainees, such as women, juveniles, foreigners, minorities; ■ places in high-risk regions, towns, or districts; The information available: the number of complaints (no complaints as well as many can be a sign of problem) the number of detained persons, capacity of the place of detention and level of overcrowding; information received from other sources, such as other national or international visiting bodies. Sample: ■ Places deemed to be most representative of the situation in the country; ■ Places not visited frequently (often the most distant from urban centres); ■ Cross selection covering different categories of people or places of detention 2.3 Length of the visits The visits should be as long as necessary to do a professional job. They should be long enough for the visiting team to be able to talk with the individuals in charge, their subordinates, and a representative