Tools of Torture and Repression in South America penitentiary services officials and one male private security guard were allegedly responsible for stripping one detainee and leaving her handcuffed in her underwear all night; another detainee reportedly had her hand and foot shackled to the bars of her cell; and a third detainee was handcuffed to the bars of her cell for days.102 These actions were taken to punish the detainees for breaches of discipline.103 Uruguay: There are reports of excessive use of force being used to punish those deprived of their liberty in Uruguay,104 including against adolescents in centres run under the Juvenile Criminal Responsibility System – Sistema de Responsabilidad Penal Adolescente (SIRPA).105 The UN Committee Against Torture expressed concern about allegations of ill-treatment of minors, including the shackling of hands and feet behind the back in a stress position known as ‘paquetito’ or ‘package’.106 Venezuela: Reports detail a pattern of abuse against protesters detained in February 2014. This included handcuffing detainees together, sometimes in human chains of dozens of people, for extended periods while exposed to extreme heat. While handcuffed, detainees were subjected to electric shocks and beatings and the handcuffs were not removed to allow people to go to the bathroom.107 In a letter addressed to human rights NGO the Venezuelan Prison Observatory – Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (OVP), detainees in the YARE III prison denounced the torture they had been subjected to on 15 January 2014. This allegedly included penitentiary services officials placing their boots on prisoners’ backs and pulling their arms up while the prisoners lied face down with their hands handcuffed behind their backs.108 Recommendations109  Once detainees are placed in restraints, no other means of force should be used against them unless they pose an immediate threat of death or serious injury that cannot be contained by less extreme measures.  When restraints are worn, officers should check the subject regularly for any indications that they may be experiencing injury or negative effects and any necessary remedial action should immediately be taken.  Where it is necessary for officers to use metal handcuffs, preference should be given to chain link models where feasible, as the evidence suggests these are less injurious than rigid bar handcuffs.  Metal restraints should be applied for the shortest possible time, and replaced with fabric or soft restraints at the earliest possible time. 102 US Department of State, Paraguay 2014 Human Rights Report, p. 6. ‘Presas niegan tortura y dicen que solo fueron castigadas,’ Última Hora, 13 June 2014, <http://m.ultimahora.com/presas-niegan-tortura-y-dicen-que-solo-fueron-castigadas-n802994.html> [accessed 31 May 2016]. 104 US Department of State, Uruguay 2014 Human Rights Report, p. 2. 105 National Institution of Human Rights and Ombudsman of Uruguay, Report by the National Institution of Human Rights and Ombudsman of Uruguay, 52nd Session of the Committee Against Torture, 11 April 2014, para. 146. 106 UN Committee Against Torture, Concluding observations on the third periodic report of Uruguay, 10 June 2014, UN Doc. CAT/C/URY/CO/3, para.13. 107 See Human Rights Watch, Punished for Protesting: Rights Violations in Venezuela’s Streets, Detention Centers, and Justice System, May 2014. 108 Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones, Informe Anual 2013, p. 35. 109 For additional guidance on the use of restraints, see the Nelson Mandela Rules, Rules 47-49. 103 27