MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE 88 visited. It is strongly recommended that information be contained in written reports. The oral transmission of information should be restricted to the periodic contacts which the mechanism will strive to establish and to maintain with the relevant authorities. Visit reports that cover one visit to one place should present the principal facts and issues arising from the visit, as well as any important points arising from the final talk with the director. Such visit reports can be relatively brief and should be sent shortly after the visit. They should be addressed directly to the authorities in charge of the place visited, as they have the responsibility to find solutions and implement the recommendations. This reinforces the dialogue with the authorities by providing formal, written feed-back. The visiting mechanism may take the point of view that not every individual visit need be the subject of an immediate written report to the authorities immediately. Reports will then be addressed to the authorities on a case by case basis, depending on the team’s assessment of the gravity of the problems noted. The visit report should contain certain general information: ■ the composition of the visiting team and the date and time of the visit; ■ the specific objectives of the visits carried out; ■ how the information was gathered and checked. Presentation of the conditions of detention: The report should clearly present the principal concerns on the basis of the following issues listed in Chapter IV: ■ Treatment ■ Protection measures ■ Material conditions