National Preventive Mechanism The NPM’s ongoing collaboration with the working group on Correctional Practice and its collaboration with the working group on Policy and Boundary Issues provided it with the opportunity to contribute a series of legislative proposals, which had been submitted by the commissions, and bring them up for discussion. These included the question of whether patient representatives had to be informed if a person was placed in restraint under Section 21 (1) of the Austrian Criminal Code as is the case under the Hospitalisation of Mentally Ill Persons Act (Unterbringungsgesetz). It was suggested that persons being held in detention are entitled to an effective defence in release proceedings. Apart from a series of considerations relating to raising the quality of psychiatric expert opinions, it was also suggested that persons being held in detention should receive a hearing in a much shorter time span than is currently the practice. NPM‘s suggestions included The leader of the sub-working group on Correctional Practice also organised two workshops, which included the staff of all institutions concerned with the detention of mentally ill offenders. A multi-day symposium (Forensic Science Days held in Stodertal), at which representatives of the NPM spoke on the relevant observations made by the commissions also provided ample opportunity to discuss proposed improvements. Inclusion of all affected institutions The sub-working group on Correctional Practice submitted a 19-page requirements catalogue to the plenary session which covered almost all of the items relating to the detention of mentally ill offenders, starting with the predicate offence and proceedings to quality criteria for after-care facilities and possible improvements. Numerous proposals for improvement This catalogue of requirements, together with the results from the other subworking groups, is now being summarized into an overall report, which will be submitted to the Federal Minister of Justice after it has been finalised at the plenary session in early February. ¾¾ The NPM welcomes the extensive efforts to reform the detention of mentally ill offenders. It awaits swift legislative implementation of the project report. ¾¾ It is desirable to combine provisions, which are currently scattered throughout various laws, into a single law. ¾¾ Such terms as “mentally disturbed offenders” and “mental abnormality” should be eliminated and replaced with contemporary, nondiscriminatory terms. 141