Methodology 1. Methodology In all the establishments visited, the National Preventive Mechanism operates based on the same methodology. The first stage is to establish the composition of the visiting group. In accordance with the OPCAT, experts of national preventive mechanisms should have the required capabilities and expertise. The visiting team usually consists of several persons, with one person performing the role of a group coordinator. Two persons, including the team coordinator responsible for drawing up a visit report, inspect the premises and buildings of an establishment, while others conduct individual conversations with persons deprived of their liberty. In order for groups to be interdisciplinary, the visits are also performed by experts in general medicine, psychiatry and geriatrics as well as representatives of foundations auditing the adjustment of space to the needs of persons with disabilities. They draw up an expert opinion which is incorporated in the visit report. The duration of a visit depends on both the size of a visited establishment and problems encountered there. It usually lasts 1 to 3 days. Visits of the NPM comprise the following stages: • conversation with the management; • inspection of all rooms used by persons deprived of their liberty; • individual and group conversations with detainees; • conversations with the personnel; • analysis of documents; • formulation of post-visit recommendations during the conversation summing up the visit, and receiving explanations from the management. During the visits, the representatives of the National Preventive Mechanism use the following measuring and recording devices: a CEM DT-8820 multimeter, a Makita LD060P laser distance meter and a camera. If a person deprived of his/her liberty reports an unlawful event during the visit, he/ she has the opportunity to lodge an official complaint which is referred to a competent complaint department of the OCHR. If the complainant does not consent to addressing the issue officially, visitors consider the information as a report to be investigated in a way that prevents identifying the source. If the unlawful event is confirmed, the members of the visiting team report their findings to an establishment’s director and the complainant remains anonymous. If the visitors are unable to confirm the complainant’s charges, these are reported to the establishment’s management during the summarising conversation as unverified reports, and it is the duty of the establishment’s director to investigate them. When the visit is completed, a report is drawn up which describes all the findings and conclusions as well as recommendations for the body managing the visited establishment and for its supervisory bodies. If the establishment’s management does not agree with the recommendations, the representatives of the NPM request the supervisory bodies to issue 11