also recommends that medical examinations of prisoners be confidential and any
injuries observed on them be accurately recorded.
Material conditions of detention were found to be particularly poor in most of the
prisons visited, including unacceptable conditions of hygiene and a dilapidated
infrastructure. The situation was further aggravated by the serious levels of overcrowding; for example, at Pančevo District Prison, six inmates were being accommodated in cells measuring only 8 m2. In the CPT’s view, the conditions of detention
at the “Hospital” and “Odmaralište” buildings of Sremska Mitrovica Correctional
Institution (e.g. dilapidated, damp and poorly ventilated cells, and sanitary facilities
in an appalling state of hygiene), as well as in the closed sections of Pančevo District
Prison (e.g. insufficient ventilation, non-functioning artificial lighting, high levels
of humidity, no in-cell heating and sewage dripping from the ceiling), could well
amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. Recommendations are made to the
Serbian authorities to take immediate steps to remedy the situation by reducing
occupancy levels and carrying out extensive refurbishment of the prisons visited.
Once again, the CPT found that remand prisoners were still not being offered any
purposeful activities and could spend more than 23 hours per day locked in their
cells. The Committee calls upon the Serbian authorities to offer remand prisoners
out-of-cell activities and to ensure that they are offered at least two hours of outdoor
exercise per day. Recommendations are also put forward, inter alia, to reinforce the
number of health-care staff, notably at Sremska Mitrovica Correctional Institution,
and to improve psychiatric care for inmates.
In the Ministry of Justice’s response, the authorities underline that prison staff in the
above-mentioned institutions were informed clearly that any form of ill-treatment
is unlawful and that those who act illegally will be sanctioned. They underline that
new training will be provided to prison staff in accordance with the CPT’s recommendations. Information is also provided on the implementation of measures adopted
to combat prison overcrowding, the refurbishment and sanitation of the relevant
sections of the prisons visited, the planned construction of new prisons, improved
training possibilities for prison staff, the increase in health-care personnel and the
purchase of medical equipment, in line with the recommendations made by the CPT.
39. During its 2015 visit, the CPT also examined the situation regarding psychiatric establishments and social care homes. In this respect, it visited the Special
Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases “Dr Slavoljub Bakalović” in Vršac, as well as Veternik
Residential Facility. Concerning the latter, the CPT’s report describes the poor material conditions and overcrowding in certain wards (where some residents were being
forced to share the same bed), and the situation of a group of patients who were
subject to periods of prolonged mechanical fixation and seclusion. In response, the
Serbian authorities refer to a number of measures being taken to address the CPT’s
recommendations.
Report and response published in June 2016
(CPT/Inf(2016)21 and (CPT/Inf(2016)22)
General Report of the CPT, 2016 ► Page 22
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