washing presented problems at certain times of the day. Prisoners had to shower, wash themselves and even urinate in open view, in clear violation of the right of every prisoner to privacy for intimate purposes. 207.As to the provision of water, the conditions at Abomey prison for women detainees were particularly poor. The water taps in the women’s quarter had been cut and, in order to fill up various containers with fresh water for the day, the women had to go into the men’s quarter before or after the men locked into the buildings were released or locked in, but while some 30 men are still in the courtyard. Most women re-used dirty water to wash dishes and to try to keep cool during the day. This also meant that the already cramped conditions in the women’s quarter were worsened by the numerous water containers. These concerns were echoed in the men’s quarter where the two available taps were used all day to fill the storage tank and the prisoners’ jerry cans. Women also complained that the prison authorities did not provide them with sufficient cleaning products to keep their quarters clean, especially as the wood burners produced large amounts of black smoke and dust. 208.Cotonou Prison is connected to the town’s water supply and there was no main water storage tank on the premises. As a result, prisoners also had to store water for daily use in jerry cans, using the various taps throughout the prison. It appeared that inequality ruled among prisoners depending on which building they slept in. Some prisoners reported having to pay to have access to the water taps, including for showering. In the buildings which were particularly overcrowded, detainees had to pay to use the toilet in the building. In this regard, the number of shower spaces and toilets was totally inadequate for the prison population, and prisoners were seen urinating directly into the sewage channels. In the women’s quarters, there were two working showers for 136 detainees, and two taps; detainees complained that the water was cut every day. The SPT recommends that the prison authorities should significantly increase the number of toilets and showers in respect of each unit. The water supply to the women ’ s quarters should be constant. 209.The water supply at Akpro-Missérété Prison is reportedly more reliable than in Abomey or Cotonou Prisons. Prisoners reported that they had free access to water both in the courtyards and in the dormitories, and free access to the toilets and showers throughout the prison. However, the delegation observed sewage leaking from pipes throughout the prison, and noted that the buildings, through relatively new, were already dirty and worn. 210.The provision of decent conditions is important for the well being of prisoners and staff. Poor material conditions are exacerbated by overcrowding and adversely affect everyone living or working in prison; they contribute to the tensions in custody and to the deterioration of relations among prisoners and between prisoners and staff, which in turn increases the risk of ill-treatment. 211. The SPT recommends that the authorities ensure adequate access to sanitation facilities and adequate provision of water for prisoners for drinking, washing and sanitation. As a matter of urgency and at a minimum, the SPT recommends that: Refuse be collected and placed in rat-proof concrete containers and regularly burnt to prevent rat infestations Each bucket used as a latrine in the buildings be provided with a lid As a minimum, rubber gloves should be provided to those prisoners emptying the latrine bucket every day, and to those whose chore it is to clean the toilets 5.Health care in prison 212.The SPT welcomes the fact that Article 18 of the Constitution of Benin establishes the right of all persons deprived of liberty to access to a doctor. Decree No. 73-293 also provides that detainees have the right to be brought to a doctor for treatment, and that all treatment ordered by the doctor is free, except for hospitalisation. The delegation found that in principle health care in prisons was provided free of charge to prisoners. This is a positive finding. However, the delegation also learned that detainees have first to buy a carnet de soins (FCFA 100) before their first healthcare appointment, an amount which may be prohibitive for some indigent detainees. 213.The delegation was informed by detainees that requests to see the nurse were granted in the vast majority of cases. However, the delegation noted that there was no oversight by the nurse of prisoners kept in disciplinary cells. Women detainees faced the additional hurdle of having to ask the male detainee in charge of social affairs (détenu chargé des affaires sociales) in order to access the nurses. The delegation spoke to women with very young babies who had not been examined since giving birth, nor had their children been examined. The SPT recommends that the healthcare and other provision of care for babies and young children in prison be reviewed. 214.Some prisoners who were clearly very weak had not requested to see the nurse, as they were convinced that they would not receive any free medication. On this point, once the supply of medications available at the health care centre of the prisons was exhausted, there was reportedly no replenishment. Thereafter, nurses simply wrote prescriptions for medication, and prisoners were forced to buy medicines for themselves, if they could afford to do so. The delegation was informed that the situation in relation to the supply of medicine had worsened since responsibility for health care in prisons was transferred from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice clarified that there was no specific budget calculated for individual prisons in Benin, but that the global budget was based on the actual prison population. The SPT recommends that the authorities review the system of supply of medication to prison, in particular to ensure provision of free medication for all common diseases. Closer links should be re-established between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice with the aim of providing a more equitable level of healthcare for prisoners, and in particular to establish a standard list of medicines and system of procurement for all prisons. 215.In Abomey and Cotonou prisons, the remarkably low number of consultations corroborated the prisoners’ opinion that it was pointless to request to see the nurse. Indicators that the prison health system was not functioning well include: