accompanies a prisoner only if they are transferred from one prison to another. After serving of a sentence, their medical file is sent to their selected doctor by registered mail at the prisoner’s request. They must provide the address of the medical institution and the name of their doctor. If a prisoner does not wish for their file to be sent, the file is kept at the central archives. The third rejected recommendation relating to health care was made in Koper Prison and referred to the observance of the recommendation by the external expert/doctor to examine the possibility for the infirmary and other (psychiatric and dentist) outpatient clinics to work three times a week relating to the increased number of prisoners regularly scheduled for examination at the infirmary and also in accordance with the increased number of prisoners in Koper Prison. The Head Office of the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia explained that the quality of health care in Koper Prison already improved after 1 January 2018 when the scope of work of all outpatient clinics extended. Despite the increased number of prisoners, the Head Office believes that the current scope of work of outpatient clinics ensures high-quality health care since all scheduled prisoners are treated regularly, including those for whom the doctor assesses that ongoing treatment is required. Koper Prison makes regular arrangements with Koper Community Health Centre about the provision of doctors, which contributes to the reduction of accompaniments of prisoners to external institutions. The quality of health care of prisoners is maintained also in the absence of a doctor in Koper Prison and in emergency situations when a duty doctor from Koper Community Health Centre comes to the prison. 65 2.7 VISITS TO PRISONS Relating to the facilitation of communication of prisoners with the outside world, the director of Ig Prison explained during the visit that a project was being prepared which would particularly enable female remand prisoners to maintain contact with their family (including children) via Skype. Based on the foregoing, the NPM recommended – also to the Head Office of the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia – that Ig Prison receive suitable assistance or necessary support so that female remand prisoners and other prisoners if necessary be enabled contact with their families via Skype as soon as possible. With regard to the relevant recommendation, the Head Office of the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia responded that it was already preparing a trial implementation of video communication (Skype or similar) that would be implemented by Ig Prison. Similar action is planned in several other prison systems in the European Union, but there is no uniform practice yet established in this field. The Head Office of the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia reported that the trial implementation is anticipated to commence at the end of 2019. This option would first be offered to female prisoners with minor children. Possible risks and hazards of abuse would be examined if the video technology would be used by female prisoners who are foreigners. The Head Office of the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia also noted that this method of communication has not yet been legally defined in regulations governing the enforcement of prison sentences, and they have already submitted a proposal for amending suitable regulations.

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