Pa r t i I .
prisoners, to the authorities of the establishments and, at the same time, obliged
them to pay closer attention to issues of treatment of persons deprived of their
liberty by PS officers in their subordinate establishments.
The representatives of the Mechanism continue to reveal cases related to
misconduct of the authorities of the establishments in relation to persons with disabilities. In several of the establishments visited in 2014, employees of the Office
revealed cases of ill-treatment of such persons which involved, among others: lack
of sufficient space for an inmate in a wheelchair in a cell adjusted to the needs of
persons with disabilities, lack of properly adjusted bath space42, placing a person
moving with crutches on an upper bed and those with reduced physical capabilities
in cells located on higher floors of the building43.
2. Access of prisoners to medical care
In comparison with the previous year, having reviewed the exercise of the
right of prisoners to medical care in terms of broadly defined treatment by medical
personnel, it can be concluded that the situation in this regard has significantly
improved. Only in two establishments, persons deprived of their liberty complained of brusqueness of a doctor44. Their assessment of access to specialist medical
examination and waiting time for a medical appointment was positive as well45.
3. Right to information
The HRD succeeded in her efforts to provide new inmates with guides. It seems that the right to information will become increasingly important, so that it will
be possible one day to provide all inmates with guides, not only for viewing. In fact,
international standards give consideration to written instructions and repeating
them for prisoners reporting such a need, while national standards are mainly based on verbal instructions in the course of enforcement proceedings.
The representatives of the NPM noted cases of violation of legal rules as regards executing the right to information by foreigners placed in Polish penitentiary
establishments. They involved: lack of information on the language in which initial
interviews were held, not indicating in records thereof that foreigners do not speak
Polish and thus contact with them is difficult46; making foreigners who do not speak
PTDC in Międzyrzecz.
PTDC in Łódź.
44
PTDCs in Łódź and Sosnowiec.
45
Prisoners of PTDCs in Warsaw-Białołęka, Łódź and Międzyrzecz alleged that waiting time
for a medical appointment and specialist consultations was long.
46
PTDC in Warsaw-Białołęka, EW in Bemowo, PTDC in Bielsko-Biała, PTDC in Międzyrzecz, Pr
No 1 in Strzelce Opolskie.
42
43
23
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