Implementation of Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2010 The highest number of renovation works were probably executed in ZPKZ Maribor (windows in the semi-closed section and in the hall were replaced; worn out flooring was replaced in some rooms; bathrooms, a new fitness room, etc.). A large projecting roof was installed above part of the promenade to enable people to stay outside even in the case of rain. The method of solving the issue of overlapping times for telephone calls with outdoor exercise in ZPKZ Maribor should be positively emphasised; in addition to the telephone booths in the prison a telephone booth has been installed on the promenade which can be used by convicted and detained persons during their daily two-hour period outside. The general, the situation regarding the implementation of the planned project is of concern, since funding is not provided. For example, in ZPKZ Maribor, Rogoza Open Prison Section, they failed to renovate the first floor, the front and roof of the accommodation sections for convicts, and to connect the section to the public sewage network. ZPKZ Ljubljana, Novo mesto Section, failed to (re)arrange the car park in front of the building and the area bordering the Krka River, which prevented them from obtaining an urgently needed outdoor area for recreation, sport activities, walks and outdoor visits; ZPKZ Ljubljana also failed to build a projecting roof in the courtyard, and more. We approved of the possibility offered by ZPKZ Maribor, Rogoza Open Prison Section, and by ZPKZ Dob pri Mirni, Puščava Open Prison Section, of allowing incarcerated persons to lock their rooms. From the inside, there is a lock with a knob, and staff may unlock the door from the outside at any time. We proposed this solution last year in ZPKZ Ig. Despite the challenging economic situation, more encouraging findings than expected were observed in the field of providing work for prisoners. For example, ZPKZ Maribor, Rogoza Open Prison Section, provided work for every prisoner who wanted and was able to work. The same applies to ZPMZ and KZ Celje and ZPKZ Dob pri Mirni, Puščava Open Prison Section. Several convicts from ZPKZ Dob pri Mirni and ZPKZ Maribor also worked. On the other hand, ZPKZ Ljubljana provided work for only a limited number of prisoners. This was not surprising in ZPKZ Maribor, Murska Sobota Section, also due to the structure of the prison population (convicts usually with shorter sentences not exceeding six months, detained persons and persons in compliance detention), since the motivation for work is questionable in such persons. ZPKZ Ljubljana, Novo mesto Section, was concerned with similar problems. In the context of contacts with the outside world, the arrangement in the open prison section in Murska Sobota, Puščava and Ig should be positively emphasised – convicts are allowed to use mobile phones and the Internet, which is regulated by a special set of rules on the use of electronic communication. Access should be arranged by convicts themselves through a mobile operator. It is correct to enable convicts this access in such free sentence regimes. Of course, caution is needed when providing such possibilities for convicts in more closed regimes, since the potential risk to security inside or outside the institution is greater, such as threatening messages to victims of crime, preparation of new crimes, preparation to escape and similar. We received many complaints by prisoners in ZPMZ and KZ Celje regarding unsupervised visits and the privacy related therewith. Entrance to the room used for visits leads from the institution’s courtyard. The door is usually open, since a judiciary police officer stands by the courtyard entrance door; in winter or in bad weather, he even steps into the room and stays there throughout the visit. UIKS also established that the benefit of an unsupervised visit which does not enable the convict and visitor to communicate beyond the hearing of an officer is unreasonable. It is encouraging to hear that UIKS agrees to perform unsupervised and supervised visits separately by organising visits appropriately, since the institution has two rooms for visits in the small internal courtyard; according to the house rules and the timetable, visits are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays from 8.00 to 17.00, which would allow for the organisation of separate visits for convicts permitted unsupervised visits by the institution. The exact solution of the institution will be monitored at our next visit. National Preventive Mechanism in the Republic of Slovenia under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 17