Classroom It can seat 26 pupils. The blackboards showed that different subjects had been taught. Clean and tidy toilets with a sink indicated that the Centre set much store by cleanliness. Kitchen and Dining Hall These had basic equipment. Dormitory The dormitory had beds with mattresses, sheets and mosquito nets. Joinery Although it had two modern machines, no one had been found to train the inmates in this trade. Carpentry shop This was built out of money raised from the National Lottery. Vegetable Garden A portion of the large tract of land at the Centre has been cultivated with vegetables. An abandoned football field cried to be used again. Meeting with the Staff Members of the staff of the Centre stated some of the problems they face. The too open nature of the Centre makes escape tempting, and some of the inmates have taken advantage of it. Five staff members for the whole country is inadequate. In particular trained specialist staff is needed, and so is equipment for some of the workshops. It has no vehicle, which makes transportation in connection with work for the Centre difficult. A dispensary to cater for the immediate health needs of the inmates is needed. of Defence has responsibility for the gendarmerie, but the gendarmes in prisons work for the Ministries of Justice and Interior. Directors of Prisons are appointed by the Minister of Justice while the guards are selected by the Directors of Gendarmerie. Although no specific training is given to Directors and prison guards they are taught to respect the rights of prisoners. The gendarmes work twenty hours a day with a day off in a week. However, difficult areas like Parakou have shorter hours of work with more guards. 136 gendarmes guard 3,937 prisoners. Discipline The code of conduct of the army is followed, and an offending guard is disciplined in accordance with the regulations. In the event of the escape of a prisoner, a gendarme guarding such a prisoner is liable to 60 days of close arrest. He will also appear before a disciplinary committee. A gendarme who abuses prisoners may be detained, suspended or even dismissed. Because of this harsh regime, gendarmes are reluctant to become prison guards. Food Families feed their relations who are detained in the cells of the gendarmerie. Food is provided by the gendarmes, where a suspect has no family member in the area of detention. Pre-trial detention Porto Novo, Administrative Capital of Benin Mob justice is a serious issue in Benin, and it is safer for suspects to be kept in cells than to be let into the open. By law pre-trial detention is limited to 48 hours. But this period is sometimes exceeded, when the transfer from cells to the Prosecutor involves a long journey. Monitoring by NGOs of pre-trial detention ensures that the limitation period is not flagrantly abused. Gendarmerie (Direction Generale de la Gendarmerie de Porto Novo) Brigade de Gendarmerie de Porto Novo Gendarmerie Cell eeting with Pancrace E. J. Brathier, Deputy Director General and M. Sekou MAdamou, Groupement Penitentiaire. Mhree young persons occupied the cell. One of them had been in detention 1 for two weeks for stealing. He had no relation in Porto Novo, and thankfully had to rely on the Chief Guard for food. A second inmate was in handcuffs. In Benin, gendarmes serve as prison officers and directors. A wing of the gendarmerie (Groupement penitentiaire) are in charge of prisons. The Ministry 10 - 11