Four recommendations were made to Sežana PS and Nova Gorica PS to hang a new poster produced by the MI on the rights of persons deprived of their liberty. The MI responded that during the visit valid posters on the rights of persons deprived of their liberty were hanging in the PS. We recommended that Sežana PS place a brochure produced by the MI on the rights of persons deprived of their liberty in the interrogation room. The MI responded that they saw no need to do so, as people are informed of their rights in the written document that they receive when deprived of their liberty. We pointed out to Sežana PS that a person deprived of their liberty had had their personal items returned 45 minutes prior to the end of detention or to the person being taken to the investigating judge. We warned Lendava PS that a person deprived of their liberty had had their personal items returned only after the proceedings with the investigating judge had been concluded or at the time of the person being delivered to staff for detention. The MI explained that, in the first example, the personal items had been returned before transport to the investigating judge so that the individual in question was able to smoke a cigarette during transport. In the second example, the items were returned only once the individual in question was placed in detention for security reasons. We recommended to Piran PS that, in the light of the number of detention rooms, the possibility of setting up a detention centre following the model of Ljubljana Detention Centre be studied. We further recommended that the possibility of enabling detainees to take a shower be studied. The MI responded that this was not anticipated. We recommended to Koper PS that lockers intended for the safekeeping of items seized from detainees be marked with regard to the number of units in an individual detention room (e.g. 1A and 1B) so that they would not be switched if two people were in the same room at once. The MI responded that the lockers would not be marked as recommended, as it was impossible for the seized items be switched. Below are the individual most frequently noted deficiencies or mistakes (at several PS) for which recommendations were made that they be eliminated or pointed out to police officers.7 Joint findings with recommendations a) Furnishing of detention rooms During visits to PS, detention rooms are inspected (for shorter detention – up to 12 hours, and for longer detention – up to 48 hours) for their compliance (including equipment) with the Rules on Standards for the Construction and Equipment of Police Premises Used for Detention (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 62/16, hereinafter the Rules). The equipment in the rooms for the implementation of detention and other procedures involving a detainee was predominantly assessed as appropriate.8 If an irregularity is established (e.g. marking of the detention room; hanging of the notice on the implementation of video surveillance; repair of water pipes due to leaking water; repair of the communication device; restoration of the wall plaster by painting the walls; storing seized items, etc.) this is pointed out during the visit and in the report. A larger deficiency of the detention rooms at Postojna PS, Murska Sobota PS, Sežana PS, Ljubljana Centre PS, and Ribnica PS was the fact that detention rooms (especially those for shorter detention of up to 12 hours) are still not fully equipped in accordance with the Rules, as detainees do not have access to running water. The MI accepted the recommendations to equip detention rooms with running water; however it linked the implementation of these recommendations to major renovations, technical capabilities, and available financial resources. During its 2017 visit, the CPT emphasised that it trusts that the authorities will ensure that police cells without access to natural light are not used for periods of custody lasting more than a few hours. The Committee further recommended that all police cells constructed in the future be provided with access to natural light. 7  All recommendations made during the visit to individual police stations in 2017 are available on the Ombudsman’s website at: http://www. varuh-rs.si/o-instituciji/podrocja-dela-varuha/varuh-kot-drzavni-preventivni-mehanizem/. 8  During 2017, the CPT also assessed the conditions of detention in the police stations visited to be generally very good or even excellent. The cells were big enough, well lit, clean, and in a good state of repair. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 67