However, the inmate cell is not free of potential hazards. The
doorframe has a sharp and hard edge on which a prisoner could
easily injure himself.
The fact that the specially secured inmate cell has no place to sit or
recline is not tolerable in terms of humane treatment. Therefore, the
NPM recommended that places to sit and recline be provided, which
could remain in the cell also if the inmate was a danger to himself or
others. Moreover, the NPM recommended that the existing potential
hazards be mitigated.
Places to sit and recline
must be provided
The Federal Ministry of Justice reports that the prison warden had
ordered the creation of places to sit and recline. Moreover, the
aforementioned potential hazard from the doorframe was eliminated.
Order to create places
to sit or recline
It is degrading when detainees, who are placed in a specially secured inmate cell because
they are a danger to themselves or others, must sit or lie on the floor due to the lack of
suitable furnishings.
The NPM advocates that there be an appropriate place to sit and recline in the specially
secured inmate cell at the Innsbruck correctional institution.
The statement of the Federal Ministry of Justice that orders have already been given to
create a place to sit or recline is encouraging.
Defective furnishings in inmate cells at the Leoben,
Vienna-Simmering and Wiener Neustadt correctional institutions
In wards 13 and 14 of the Vienna-Simmering correctional institution,
the commission was confronted with the poor condition of the beds in
the inmate cells. The boards of the slatted frame were screwed on at
large distances, which resulted in the mattress sagging. To avoid back
pain from this, the detainees have used pads made of corrugated
cardboard.
Defective slatted frames
During another visit to the Vienna-Simmering correctional institution, it
was discovered that the drains in the bath in Section 10 were rusty, a
mirror was broken, and the lockers in the inmate cells are too small,
not divided into sections and cannot be locked. Personal items are
stored in boxes under the bed or on self-made shelves and therefore
frequently go missing.
In the women’s section of the Leoben correctional institution, the
commission was made aware of old, worn-out mattresses, that
caused back pain – among other things. Due to their thickness of only
eight to ten centimetres – in interaction with a wooden board as a
base – the mattresses become worn-out very quickly. Moreover, some
of the mattresses were very dirty, the headrests were very old and the
filling was poor.
Worn-out mattresses
In the Wiener Neustadt correctional institution, the commission also
noticed that the cells seemed much neglected, the mattresses were
old and the wardrobes were outdated and shabby.
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