2.5. Correctional institutions 2.5.1. Introduction The following chapters give an overview of the activities of the NPM in Austrian facilities of the penitentiary system and facilities for the detention of mentally ill offenders during the reporting year. In total, 47 visits were made to correctional institutions and three visits to forensic departments of psychiatries. The results of this preventive human rights work are divided into 10 chapters. The further subdivision is primarily based on the anchor points of the NPM’s visit reports. At the outset, the results in connection with the major topic of health care in detention (1) and the related topic of health examinations upon arrival will be presented. The knowledge gained and the recommendations made on the key issue of “women in prison” will be discussed in the two chapters on work and employment opportunities (3) and right to privacy (6). The remaining chapters on living conditions (2), contact with the outside (4), infrastructural fixtures and fittings (5), access to information (7), complaint management (8) and personnel (9) will provide exemplary observations and recommendations from the past year regarding individual correctional institutions. The last chapter is dedicated to two selected examples of “best practice” (10). 2.5.2. System-related problem areas 2.5.2.1. Provision of health care Health care and its requirements The observations of the commissions and the individual complaints of prisoners make it clear that the area of health care in detention remains a key issue and the health care provided in detention presents a challenge in terms of the provision of health care. Since inadequate health care can lead to situations involving inhuman and degrading treatment, there must be a focus on preventive work in health care. It must be guaranteed that the medical care of detainees is on the same level as that of persons who are at liberty. Therefore, the NPM also addressed this issue in 2015 and treated it as a focal point. Inadequate health care is a violation of human rights Moreover, the depressing case of the neglect of a prisoner detained in the Stein correctional institution in 2014 resulted in the initiation of systematic monitoring of nursing care in the penitentiary system and in the detention of mentally ill offenders (see NPM Report 2014, p. 86). The focus was on the question of how to ensure the care of particularly vulnerable groups of persons – such as nursing care for older prisoners with lengthy sentences – in conformity with their fundamental rights. The purpose was to determine what type of monitoring, early warning and screening systems should be implemented for prisoners and mentally ill offenders, to avoid physical Caring for vulnerable groups in conformity with their fundamental rights 90