National Preventive Mechanism ¾¾ Task force trainings may not cause longer lock-up times. ¾¾ Time spent outdoors makes inmates healthier. They should be permitted to have at least one hour of outdoor time per day (depending on the weather). ¾¾ Incarcerated persons should not have to choose between work and the rights to which they are entitled, such as outdoor exercise. ¾¾ The exercise of a right should not cause any inmate to suffer a financial loss. Acute shortage of specialised personnel At the Graz-Karlau correctional institution, the job opportunities can be said to be very good since 90% of the prisoners and persons being held there are employed. Thus, for example, there are 40 apprentices being trained in nine different occupational areas. However, this situation is impaired by the acute shortage of specialised personnel, which results in workshops being closed for hours or days. Employee representatives reject hiring of skilled external personnel This situation can only be improved by hiring appropriately skilled personnel (craftsmen). The head of the correctional institution has already solicited such personnel. Paradoxically, the employee representatives have been vehemently opposed to this and thus have prevented any improvement of the situation. The employee representatives insist that staff only be hired from among the prison guards. Structured daily routine In response, the commission pointed out that any closing of the workshops (even for only a few hours) impairs the ergo therapy programme and is not conducive to a reasonable structuring of the day. In addition, the workshop’s skilled personnel are particularly important confidants for inmates and other persons being held. The important “relationship effect” suffers from any reduction of an existing employment opportunity. Goal of less psychological stress during lock-up times The importance of maintaining and expanding work and employment opportunities is demonstrated by the fact that inmates, who are not housed in shared accommodations, are confined at 3 p.m. There is still the opportunity to visit and utilise recreational facilities, such as sports facilities, handicrafts, music and art groups, etc., until 5 p.m. However, this does not change the lock-up times. The Federal Ministry of Justice agreed with the NPM that expansion of work and employment opportunities in correctional institutions is very important. Pilot project ordered 136 Consultations were conducted with the representatives of the central committee for employees of the executive services, but the parties failed to reach a mutual agreement. Therefore, in accordance with Section 10 (7) of the Federal Employee Representation Act, the Federal Minister of Justice finally made a decision to start a pilot project to employ craftsmen at the Gerasdorf,