35 6. Focal points of the visits conducted within the powers of the NPM To prevent ill-treatment, each State Party “shall keep under systematic review interrogation rules, instructions, methods, and practices as well as arrangements for the custody and treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment in any territory under its jurisdiction.”101 The goal of the NPM’s visits is to encourage the respective authorities and institutions to improve the effectiveness of their measures aimed at the prevention of ill-treatment.102 I share the Subcommittee’s view that “the scope of preventive work is large, encompassing any form of abuse of people deprived of their liberty which, if unchecked, could grow into torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”103 In the course of the inspection of places of detention, the NPM examines the conditions of placement of persons deprived of their liberty and their treatment. The visiting delegations examined those aspects of placement and treatment which presented the highest risk of the insufficient enforcement of the fundamental rights of persons deprived of their liberty. A special feature of the visits conducted in connection with performing tasks related to the NPM is that the detection and identification of signs of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, physical and psychological abuse, in particular, is carried out using medical and psychological methods. The focal points were determined on the basis of the CPT’s reports on visiting places of detention on the territory of Hungary, the reports of the UN Committee against Torture, the reports of the Subcommittee on Prevention on its country visits, as well as the conclusions of the on-site inspections conducted as part of my general activities aimed at protecting fundamental rights, and the CCB’s recommendations. 6.1. Reception Since persons deprived of their liberty are extremely vulnerable in the early stages of their detention, the NPM conducts a thorough examination of the reception procedure in every place of detention. In addition to the procedural acts of reception, e.g., medical examination, designation of the detainee’s bed, providing them with clothing, bedding, toiletry, the inspection also covers the in-house rules of the given place of detention, the contents of the briefing on the rules of behavior, the security personnel, and the ways and conditions of keeping in touch with relatives. 6.2. Material conditions of detention The members of the visiting delegations inspect the premises, equipment, and furnishing of the places of detention. They examine the dimensions of the rooms used by the detainees, the size of the per capita living space, the conditions of the natural lighting and ventilation of the premises, the furnishing, the access to drinking water and restrooms, the conditions of spending time in the open air, the washing facilities, the condition of the sanitary units and community rooms, as well as catering. 6.3. Vulnerable groups In my activities, I have to pay special attention to protecting the rights of children, nationalities living in Hungary, persons living with disabilities, and other most vulnerable groups of society, as well as to See Article 11 of the UN Convention against Torture See Clause 5 of the Report on the Visit of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to the Maldives (February 26, 2009) 103 See Clause 12 of the SPT’s First annual report 101 102