270.The delegation noted that at the prisons visited some of the adult prisoners were unable to read or write. The SPT notes the positive fact of provision of education for young male prisoners and recommends that the authorities take steps to provide at least basic education for young female prisoners and adult prisoners who cannot read or write. 271.At Abomey Prison, the director said that a programme of training courses for prisoners in the workshops had been started by the Ministry in 2007; the work involved preparation of gari, mustard, pancakes and bread. The work also generated income, although detainees indicated that they had not yet been given any of the income they had generated. The delegation noted that outside the inner wall of the prison there was a modern building provided from external funding which appeared to be unused. An area of the premises between the outer and inner wall was in use for chopping wood and provided work for a small number of prisoners. 272.At Akpro-Missérété Prison, there were no activities available to the detainees. Detainees made various items to sell to the other detainees, and planted vegetables in the main courtyard to supplement the daily ration. The director had canvassed the detainees and written to the Ministry of Justice in April 2008 to ask for equipment and resources to set up a number of activities, such as sewing, hairdressing, computer science, and language classes. 273.Programmes of activities for prisoners play an important role in the well-being and safety of prisoners and staff. Enforced idleness increases the tensions in a custodial institution and can have serious consequences for the health and well-being of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as for future re-integration on release. The extreme of enforced total inactivity over a prolonged period is inhuman. The SPT recommends that every effort be made to provide programmes and activities for all prisoners, including those sentenced to death. In this regard, the SPT welcomes the Akpro-Missérété Prison authorities ’ proactive approach, and recommends that budgetary provisions be set aside for providing activities in all prisons throughout Benin. (b)Activities for adolescent detainees 274.At Cotonou prison, the delegation observed a round concrete shed in the minors’ quarters, which was reportedly used for teaching purposes. Male adolescent detainees explained that classes were sometimes given on reading and religion by teachers, and that NGOs also taught them other skills such as hairdressing. 275.The delegation observed that education at Abomey Prison was limited to classes for male adolescent detainees. UNICEF had, in 2000, initiated a programme of basic education in French for them; this was originally run by a prisoner, who had since been released; he had been assisted by another prisoner, aged 19 years, who was still on remand and now ran the classes, with a salary of 5000 CFA per month paid by UNICEF. Educational supplies, such as a blackboard, books and pencils were also provided by UNICEF.No education classes were available for female adolescent detainees in any establishment visited by the delegation. In this regard, the SPT recommends that similar classes be organised for female adolescent detainees who are detained in the women ’ s quarters throughout Benin, as well as to the children of female detainees once they reach compulsory schooling age. 276.At Abomey Prison, there were two sewing machines and material for making shirts on tables under the canopy in the yard of the male adolescent detainee unit. The delegation was told that they were taught to sew by adult prisoners; classes occurred in the morning and from 16.00 to 18.00 hours. The SPT recommends that the authorities provide similar activities and workshops for adolescent detainees, both male and female, in all prisons, in order to facilitate their reintegration upon release. (c)Activities for female prisoners 277.Activities for women were limited by the fact that they were in theory separated from the men prisoners and therefore their access to communal facilities such as the prison market were curtailed. A difficulty faced by women was the lack of access to activities which the men ran in the market area of the prison. Some women were allowed to work in the market at Cotonou Prison to earn money. Most did not have access to the market even to buy food, and therefore relied on male detainees to buy supplies for them. Women detainees at Abomey Prison wanted to have access to activities which currently mainly men are able to undertake. They appeared not to have equal access to the training courses and workshops provided for some male prisoners, nor to the education classes provided to male adolescent detainees. Many women expressed the wish to be allowed to participate in the various workshops. The SPT recommends that activities and education classes be provided for women detainees. 278.The female adolescent detainees did not have any money to buy food to supplement the daily ration, and were therefore at increased risk of malnutrition and disease. The delegation spoke to some female adolescent detainees who had in fact become virtual slaves to older female detainees, in order to have access to more food. 279.A particular concern arose as regards the babies and young children who lived in the women’s quarters. The director at Cotonou Prison reported that children up to the age of four were allowed to stay with their detainee mothers. However, the budget of the prison did not include those children, either in the provision of sleeping space or food. As a result, the meagre daily ration had to be split further in order to feed the children of those detainees. The women’s quarter had a playroom which was donated by an NGO, but during delegation visits no one used the room, which had a few toys. 280. The SPT recommends that: Women ’ s quarters be increased to improve the extremely cramped conditions Babies and children of female detainees be included in officials account for assigning sufficient space, food and water for women ’ s quarters