Report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in Poland in 2012 ment that the director of a therapeutic ward must be a psychologist by education. It will allow better insight in and understanding of the processes taking place within a therapeutic ward (between inmates, between inmates and personnel) and within the personnel. A person with a background in psychology would understand the requirements of the post better, and would treat the inmates in the therapeutic ward in accordance with their disorders. If the director has a  degree in another field, it is possible he/she may not understand the dynamics of psychological processes, which may affect his/her decisions that may be made to the detriment of the inmates. In addition, due to their background in psychology, such persons would be better equipped to handle frustration and stress thanks to a better understanding of the situation. A director who is a psychologist can support and help his/her team, working in demanding conditions, better; • Set up Occupational Therapy Workshops in penitentiary units with therapeutic wards, in cooperation with the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PFRON). The solution could be beneficial from the point of view of resocialisation thanks to contacts with non-convicts and learning socially accepted behaviour from them; • Transport prisoners from therapeutic wards to units located in the vicinity of the courts where their cases are heard that would not only meet the criterion of being located nearby the court, but primarily have therapeutic wards. The current situation in this area shows that, due to lengthiness of court proceedings, prisoners who are subject to therapeutic influence in their mother units on an everyday basis are devoid of therapy from one day to the next, frequently for periods of several months, when they serve their penalties in regular systems waiting for proceedings to be completed. Thus, the entire progress worked out at the therapeutic ward is ruined. In the opinion of representatives and experts of the NPM, in order for therapeutic influence to be continuous, it is necessary to work out solutions that would allow continuing therapy, at least at the minimum level, during the convicts’ stay in a unit where they are moved to participate in court proceedings. This objective could be achieved by referring prisoners to units with therapeutic wards that are located as close to the court as possible, or by providing at least minimum forms of therapy in a unit without such a ward where convicts are moved.54 A separate report will be drafted from the visits to therapeutic wards of penitentiary units. 54 32