National Preventive Mechanism pol. ret. + inst. f. youth nur.h. disabl. psych. wards corr. pol. bar.. return oth. inst. op. Vienna 20 20 18 20 5 8 0 18 24 0 Burgenl. 3 8 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 Lower Austria 13 16 7 24 4 9 0 2 1 0 Upper Austria 6 5 2 1 1 3 2 0 4 1 Salzburg 2 7 2 3 0 3 0 0 5 2 Carinthia 4 7 4 10 1 4 2 0 3 0 Styria 8 12 13 8 2 5 0 0 5 0 Vorarlb. 1 5 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 Tyrol 8 9 9 12 10 0 0 2 4 0 TOTAL 65 89 60 79 23 35 5 22 47 3 (unannounced) (60) (89) (58) (76) (18) (31) (5) ( 11) Legend: pol. ret. + nur.h. youth inst. f. disabl. psych. ward corr.inst. bar. return = police = retirement and nursing homes = youth welfare = institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities = psychiatric wards in hospitals and medical facilities = correctional institutions = military barracks = (forced) returns pol.op. = police operations oth. = others (district authorities, police department of the competent Land) (16) (0) The activities of the NPM are very much characterised by the fact that it does not (only) document deficiencies, but works very intensively to find solutions. This is the reason why the NPM sometimes does not conclude the investigative proceedings that follow the transmission of the commissions’ reports for some time (sometimes not until the following year). The commissions address structural deficiencies and those specific to the institution or facility on the spot and suggest measures to be taken. The reports are then assessed and the competent supervisory authorities or institutions/facilities are confronted with the criticisms. Then solutions are developed. In 272 cases, the NPM objected to the situation for human rights reasons. As the commissions regularly address multiple criticisms during their visits, the NPM has made numerous recommendations; the most important of these recommendations are presented in the following (see pp. 77 et seq.). 65