A/66/44 Conditions of detention (19) While welcoming the measures taken by the State party to improve considerably the conditions of detention, including the construction of new facilities and the renovation of existing ones, the Committee remains particularly concerned about the current material and hygienic conditions, the use of solitary confinement, the problems of overcrowding and ongoing inter-prisoner violence in some places of deprivation of liberty (arts. 11, 12 and 16). The State party should intensify its efforts to bring the conditions of detention in places of deprivation of liberty into line with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Economic and Social Council resolutions 663 C (XXIV) and 2076 (LXII)) and other relevant international and national law standards, in particular by: (a) Coordinating the judicial supervision of conditions of detention between competent organs and ensuring thorough investigations of all allegations of abuse or ill-treatment committed in detention facilities; (b) Drawing up a comprehensive plan to address the issue of inter-prisoner violence and sexual violence in all detention facilities, including Zenica Prison, and ensuring effective investigations into those cases; (c) detention; Reducing prison overcrowding and considering non-custodial forms of (d) Ensuring that solitary confinement is used only as a measure of last resort for as short a time as possible under strict supervision; (e) Strengthening the effort to improve the regime for prisoners, especially vocational and physical activities, and to facilitate their re-integration into society; (f) Ensuring that minors are detained separately from adults through their whole period of detention or confinement and offering them educational and recreational activities; (g) Providing adequate accommodation and psychosocial support care for detainees who require psychiatric supervision and treatment. Psychiatric facilities (20) While noting the progress made in psychiatric facilities, including Sokolac Psychiatric Clinic, the Committee remains concerned at issues of institutional accommodation of mentally disabled persons, in particular with regard to overcrowding in institutions and lack of adequate psychosocial support by competent organs (art. 16). The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that adequate psychosocial support by multidisciplinary teams is provided for patients in psychiatric institutions, that all places where mental-health patients are held for involuntary treatment are regularly visited by independent monitoring bodies to guarantee the proper implementation of the existing safeguards, and that alternative forms of treatment are developed. Furthermore, the State party should ensure the full and timely implementation of the recommendations made by the Ombudsmen, as contained in their special report on the situation in institutions for accommodation of mentally disabled persons. Individual complaints (21) Notwithstanding the information provided in the State party’s report on the possibility for prisoners and detainees to present complaints, the Committee is concerned that it continues to receive information on the lack of an independent and effective 16 GE.11-45568

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