relaxation of the staff situation at the respective operation.
Encouragingly, the inmate employment rate was also improved by the
use of appropriately skilled personnel (craftsmen). They provide
technical instructions to the detainees employed in business
workshops and the best possible support to the management.
personnel (craftsmen)
It can be very difficult to organise an appropriate programme of
activities, particularly for correctional institutions with rapid turnover of
detainees. Nevertheless, it must be emphasised that prisoners should
not be confined in cells for 23 hours a day, regardless of whether they
are inmates or detainees on remand. In the opinion of the NPM, they
should be occupied with work, exercise and training.
Reduction of lock-up
times demanded
Meaningful employment opportunities have an enormous influence on
the quality of life in correctional institutions and are of great
importance to the well-being of detainees. The lack of employment
opportunities, together with other negative factors, can seriously
deteriorate a detainee’s living situation and culminate in inhumane
and degrading detention conditions [CPT/Inf (92) 3, p. 17 et seq.]. This
applies both to convicts and detainees awaiting trial.
A satisfactory employment programme should provide prisoners with
an opportunity to spend a reasonable part of the day (eight hours or
more) outside of the cell and to engage in various kinds of meaningful
employment. Moreover, according to the Penitentiary System Act, it
should be ensured that every prison inmate can perform useful work.
A reasonable part of the
day must be spent
outside of the cell
The importance of having inmate cells open for long periods of time
should be stressed in particular for juvenile detainees. Leaving
detainees to their own devices in confined spaces is untenable. It
leads to a build-up of aggression, which can be released against the
weakest fellow inmate – as a tragic case in the report of the previous
year illustrates. Long lock-up times are accompanied by unstructured
daily routines, and the danger of assault is particularly great during
this time. To effectively prevent violent assaults between juveniles, a
structured and balanced daily routine is needed with as little lock-up
time as possible. Detention outside of cells and employment prevent
conflict. Thus, assaults among prisoners can be stopped in this way
[see also the CPT standards, CPT/Inf/E (2002) 1 – Rev. 2010, pp. 85 et
seq.]. Personnel shortages may not have an adverse effect on
detainees.
The NPM emphasises that it should be ensured that every inmate can
perform useful work or engage in meaningful activities. Therefore, the
NPM advocates pushing through specific measures to expand
employment opportunities and to achieve a varied programme of
activities. Changing working hours seems to be a suitable means of
effectuating a positive change in the prison regime. The NPM is
looking to the evaluation of the test run with anticipation.
Pushing through specific
measures
The employment rate and the activities programme must be increased in the Klagenfurt and
Wiener Neustadt correctional institutions so that every prisoner can perform useful work or
engage in meaningful activities.
108
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