refuse, and mass treatment of scabies infestations, in addition to stricter measures of hygiene; (f)The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health develop a specific training programme for all health care staff prior to and during postings in prisons, in order to ensure that the quality and appropriateness of health care and health prevention programmes provided by the health care professionals; (g)The authorities ensure implementation of article 62 of Decree No. 73-293 in practice; (h)The Ministry of Justice institute the practice of initial examinations and recording of statistics on diseases in all prisons in Benin, and provide appropriate forms to each health professional; (i)A standardised list of generic medicines be established for all prisons. Based on the required list of medication, a budget for healthcare, including preventive measures, should be established, based upon the actual prison population; (j)A system be put in place to investigate, notify and record each and every death in custody; (k)Medical consultations occur in an appropriate setting and never through the bars of a cell door, in particular with relation to prisoners sentenced to death; (l)The authorities take the necessary steps to ensure that every prisoner who requests to see the healthcare staff is able to do so without delay, including prisoners sentenced to death; (m)Non-medical personnel not be involved in filtering requests by prisoners to see a doctor. If health care staff at the prison recommends transfer to a hospital, the prison and judicial authorities should simply endorse the request for transfer; (n)Upon transfer to a hospital, healthcare and treatment be provided free of charge to detainees. Other prison issues (a)The authorities develop a special programme for the training of all custodial staff, which should include the rights of detainees, and establish a specially trained and separate service for prison staff of all levels; (b)The number of prison staff be reviewed in order that staffing at each prison is sufficient to guarantee the safety of detainees and staff within the prison, without having to rely on involving prisoners in the basic management tasks of the prison; (c)No prisoner be employed or given authority in the prison in any disciplinary capacity; (d)The use of shackles be discontinued and that restraints not be applied to prisoners while in disciplinary cells; (e)All proceedings concerning sanctions should be strictly recorded, with details of the reasons, date, nature and duration of the penalty and authorization; (f)All disciplinary procedures be authorized and implemented by the prison administration through duly established and recorded disciplinary procedures, about which all detainees should be informed. Disciplinary isolation should not be used for minors (adolescents), nor for mentally ill detainees. Those detainees placed in disciplinary cells should retain the same right to access healthcare, and may require extra vigilance from all staff as to their state of health; (g)In the specific context of the prisons visited, when detainees are placed in a disciplinary cell for more than 12 hours, they should be given access to the outdoors for one hour each day, and the healthcare staff of the prison should perform daily checks on their health in the disciplinary cell, it being understood that the doctor should act, as always, in the best interests of the health of the prisoner; (h)The prohibition of corporal punishment be enshrined in law and that corporal punishment of any kind should never be allowed in practice; (i)Weapons not be carried in plain view by prison staff; (j)Except in an operational emergency, prison staff should not carry lethal weapons within the prison perimeter; (k)The open carrying of other weapons, including batons, by persons in contact with prisoners be prohibited within the prison perimeter, unless they are required for safety and security in order to deal with a particular incident; (l)Restraints should never be used as punishment and in principle should not be used on prisoners when they are in cells or other secure accommodation. All use of restraints should be the subject of a carefully documented and reasoned process under the authority and control of the prison administration, with procedural safeguards observed in all instances; (m)The use of shackles, chains and irons be prohibited; (n)The external security of the prisons be reviewed in order to ensure that: The perimeter is secured by the prison administration rather than by internal controls exercised by prisoners Effective and appropriate action is possible in the event of an emergency (o)The authorities take steps immediately to institute a system whereby they effectively and fully assume control of the prisons in order that they are in a position to discharge properly their obligations for the custody and care for persons deprived of liberty by the State;