Recommendations of 15th October 200915 concerning the police station in Besançon Two controllers from the Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté visited the police station in Besançon (Doubs) on 27th and 28th January 2009. Factual observations recorded during the inspection were reported on 20th March 2009 to the Départemental director of public safety of the Doubs département (French territorial subdivision). This gave rise to a response dated 6th April 2009. On 18th May 2009, the full report of the visit was sent to the Ministry of the Interior for comment. Its response was issued on 31st August 2009, along with a detailed memo from the Director General of the National Police. In the wake of this procedure, and in accordance with law n°2007-1545 of 30th October 2007, the Contrôleur général has decided to make public the following recommendations: 1/ The dilapidated condition of the custody cells and sobering-up cells and the frequency of their use subject detainees to poor material conditions. This also creates working conditions that police station staff should not have to face; they should truly be concerned with the dignity of people held in the custody cells and sobering-up cells. Action should be taken to improve the conditions of persons placed in police custody, who are unable to maintain their personal hygiene due to lack of a proper hot water supply, shower facilities and provision of toiletries, and because they are dependent on staff members to get to the bathroom or to a location with running water. It is noted that the installation of a water heater and shower are planned, and that police officers working as jailers receive written instructions to “make themselves available to provide detainees with access to a source of running water, especially when they wash in the morning or when they are discharged from the jail,” as was declared by the Director General of the National Police. 15 Published in the Journal Officiel de la République française n°0250 of 28th October 2009, text n°88. 29