-67 research/monitoring interview different from the interrogation of a suspect in criminal proceedings. There are many factors which may contribute to the successful establishment of a rapport. Some general rules of behaviour at the beginning of the interview can be summarized as follows: • Showing that your mandate and research do not intend to bring negative consequences for the respondent; • Showing that you have experience and expertise; • Explaining the purpose of the interview and the roles of the others present if there are any; • Explaining that respondents should feel free to stop talking and terminate the interview at any time; • Asking about the safety of the respondent; • Ensuring confidentiality and discussing confidentiality issues with the respondent; • Starting with small talk if needed. Achieving and maintaining rapport is by no means a task only at the start. When the monitor begins the interview with explaining the mandate of the monitoring mission and the purpose of the interview, it would then be good to allow the interviewee a possibility to tell his/her account of the subject-matter without asking questions. At the point of the dialogue, each interview acquires its own dynamic, but generally it is a good idea to begin with open questions, gradually moving to closed ones. It is also a good idea to discuss less contentious issues in the beginning (food, outdoor exercise, library) and gradually moving to more sensitive ones (ill-treatment, sexual abuse, etc.).98 As some respondents are unhappy to be assigned a subordinate role, it is sometimes appropriate to give the interviewee a possibility to also control the conversation. Often this is at the expense of embarking into themes, which are of no interest to the interviewer (such as the details of the prisoner’s criminal prosecution). But the interviewer has to listen, at least for some time, as this is the inevitable side-effect of establishing rapport.99 98. Some manuals recommend discussing neutral topics in the beginning to establish rapport: UK Ministry of Justice, Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on interviewing victims and witnesses, and guidance on using special measures, March 2011, p. 70. available at: https://www.cps.gov. uk/sites/default/files/documents/legal_guidance/best_evidence_in_criminal_proceedings.pdf, accessed 9 October 2020. 99. Ibid., p. 74. Prisoners in a Situation of Vulnerability