It is not within the competence of prison ofcers to dispense prescribed medication or to administer injections. Medication can be dispensed only by a nurse or a trained pharmaceutical dispenser; injections can be administered only by qualifed health‑care staf.55 Humanitarian assistance There are certain specifc categories of particularly vulnerable prisoners, and prison health‑care services should pay special attention to their needs, as they are not always able to stand up for their interests in a detention setting. The following groups have been fagged by the CPT on several occasions.56 Imprisoned mothers with children It is a generally accepted principle that children should not be born in prison, and as a rule this principle is respected. A mother and child should be allowed to stay together for at least a certain period of time and should be placed in conditions providing them with the support of staf specialised in post‑natal care and nursing. Long‑term arrangements, in particular the transfer of the child to the community, involving the separation from the mother, should be decided for each individual case in the light of the medical and social needs of the child. Adolescents While in custody, adolescents should preferably be allowed to stay in the same surroundings and have the right to keep their personal belongings. The risks of long‑term social maladjustment should be minimised. The regime applied to them should be based on intensive activity, including socio‑educational meetings, sport, education, vocational training, escorted outings and the availability of appropriate optional activities. Prisoners vulnerable due to their medical or social condition Among the patients of a prison health‑care service there are a number of marginal individuals who have a history of family traumas, long‑standing drug addiction, conficts with authority or other social misfortunes. They may be 55. CPT/Inf (2011)19. 56. The CPT Standards 2002 (rev. 2011). Prison health care and medical ethics Page 26