In addition to the visits to every correctional institution to be conducted by the office of the medical superintendent at least once a year, the Federal Ministry of Justice has given its assurance that the institution’s physician will visit all the departments of the particular correctional institution once per month. The purpose of this is, in particular, to prevent mental or physical deterioration, as has been the case with the inmate of the Stein correctional institution, which amounted to mistreatment in terms of its severity. Monitoring and screening system As part of these visits, the institution’s physician will visit detainees in their cells on a random basis to verify the hygiene in the inmate cells, etc. Additionally an automatic control visit every twelve months will also guarantee that every detainee is examined by the institution’s physician at least once a year. The aim of such preventive control systems is to detect impending mental or physical deterioration of persons in government custody and to initiate targeted counter measures in due time. Preventive control systems The NPM’s concern about establishing a central record of prisoners in need of nursing care was not shared by the Federal Ministry of Justice. The Federal Ministry of Justice pointed out that the Austria-wide MED Module (Medical Data) of the integrated prison administration also records chronic illnesses. According to the Ministry, adequate control of the implementation of nursing measures is guaranteed by the fact that the medical superintendent regularly controls the integrated prison administration’s MED Module and by the medical superintendent’s visits to correctional institutions. Record of prisoners in need of nursing care In addition, the Federal Ministry of Justice has stated that the ITprovider for Federal Departments in Austria (Bundesrechenzentrum GmbH) has been hired to create an electronic record of nursing care and that this is in the development phase. The NPM considers the establishment of an electronic record of nursing care to be indispensable. The ability to trace the individual instances of treatment and care will already ensure increased diligence in dealing with prisoners in need of nursing care. Electronic record of nursing care A special focus was put on the topic of health examinations upon arrival during the reporting year. The enquiries regarding this key issue were not yet completed as of the reporting date. Important considerations are at which point the health examination upon arrival should be carried out and what it does – and what it should – entail. The CPT has determined that every prisoner should be properly questioned and physically examined by a physician as soon as possible after his/her arrival at the correctional institution [CPT/Inf/E (2002) 1 – Rev. 2010, p. 32]. Focus on the health examination upon arrival According to the Federal Ministry of Justice, health examination upon arrival is conducted in accordance with a standardised procedure. Under that procedure, inmates brought in by the police or transferred by a correctional institution are immediately presented to a physician for an initial examination if the correctional institution has its own special medical facility. If a correctional institution does not have its Timing of the health examination upon arrival 92