that establishment, in 2008. However, the delegation did hear a number of graphic and consistent accounts of deliberate and routine physical ill-treatment of newly admitted sentenced prisoners, as well as several credible allegations of physical ill-treatment by staf, including senior ofcials, of inmates on disciplinary segregation. The CPT acknowledges that for many years the Russian authorities have made continued attempts to combat overcrowding and improve material conditions in pre-trial establishments. Encouraging results were observed during the 2012 visit and the Committee recommends that the Russian authorities pursue their eforts in this regard. The Committee is also pleased to note that steps are being taken to move away from the system of large-capacity dormitories/ cells found in current establishments for sentenced prisoners towards a system of smaller living units. In this context, the CPT reiterates its long-standing recommendation that the Russian authorities formally amend the legislation in order to align the minimum standard of living space for sentenced prisoners with that for remand prisoners. The Committee also calls upon the Russian authorities to ensure that eforts aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving material conditions in SIZOs and establishments for sentenced prisoners go hand-in-hand with the introduction of programmes of structured out-of-cell activities. As concerns prison health-care services, the delegation was informed of a pilot project, the main feature of which was that prison health-care staf were no longer administratively dependent on the directors of the establishments in which they were working. In this context, the Committee reiterates that a greater involvement of the Ministry of Health in the provision of health-care services in prison would help to ensure optimal health care for prisoners. 88. In their response, the Russian authorities refer to various issues raised in the CPT’s report and provide detailed updates on the legislative and organisational reforms of the law enforcement agencies, the investigative authorities and the prison system (including on the implementation of plans to construct new pre-trial establishments/units, relocate SIZO No. 1 in Ufa and on the improvement of prison health-care services). They also inform the Committee of steps taken to prevent further ill-treatment of prisoners and persons in police custody. Report and response published in December 2013, CPT/Inf (2013) 41 and CPT/Inf (2013) 42 Report on the periodic visit to the Slovak Republic in September/October 2013 and response of the Slovak authorities (treatment of persons detained by the police, situation of female and juvenile prisoners, life-sentenced prisoners and inmates held in high-security units) 89. The majority of the persons met by the delegation who were or had recently been detained by the police made no complaints in respect of their treatment by police ofcers. Nevertheless, the delegation did receive a number of consistent and credible allegations of physical ill-treatment by police ofcers (including from several juveniles), consisting of slaps, punches and kicks to various parts of the body. In addition, some detained persons were purportedly warned not to complain to their family or a lawyer about the ill-treatment to which Publication highlights ► Page 43