National Preventive Mechanism 3.2.3 Monitoring and control visits in numbers During the year 2016 the six commissions carried out a total of 522 visits. In most cases, the visits and observations were unannounced; in 8% of cases they were announced in advance. The average duration of a visit was six and a half hours. It must be considered in this regard that a large number of institutions and facilities, including in particular correctional institutions and police detention centres, were visited on several occasions during the year under review. Monitoring and control activities of the commissions in 2016 (absolute figures) Preventive human rights monitoring 522 Monitoring of institutions and facilities 479 Monitoring of police operations* 43 *these include: forced returns, demonstrations, assemblies A total of 479 monitoring and control visits in institutions and facilities were carried out across Austria. The overwhelming majority related to institutions A total of 479 visits to institutions and facilities and facilities attributable to the category of “less traditional places of detention”. These include retirement and nursing homes, child and youth welfare facilities, psychiatric departments and hospitals. Retirement and nursing homes were visited most frequently (125 visits). This is due to the fact that this type of facility accounts for the majority of the institutions and facilities to be monitored. 76 visits were made to facilities for persons with disabilities. The commissions also observed the conduct of authorities empowered by the state to exercise direct administrative power and to carry out coercive measures Monitoring of 43 police operations throughout Austria: during the year under review 43 police operations were observed, including forced returns, demonstrations and assemblies. The following table breaks down the visits carried out by the commissions in each Land according to the type of institutions and facilities, or the police operations observed. 85