CAT/C/AUT/CO/6 Training 24. The Committee appreciates the information provided by the State party about the human rights training for members of the police, prison staff, judges and public prosecutors and the training programmes on the identification of victims of torture or trauma for health professionals and trainee judges. Nonetheless, it notes with concern the lack of information on the evaluation of the impact of those programmes, as well as the lack of specific training on the content of the Convention (art. 10). 25. The State party should: (a) Further develop mandatory in-service training programmes to ensure that all public officials, in particular law enforcement officials, prison staff and medical personnel employed in prisons and psychiatric institutions, are well acquainted with the provisions of the Convention and are fully aware that violations will not be tolerated and will be investigated, and that those responsible will be prosecuted and, on conviction, appropriately sanctioned; (b) Ensure that all relevant staff, in particular judicial and medical personnel, including forensic experts, are specifically trained to identify and document cases of torture and ill-treatment, as well as to refer such cases to competent investigative authorities, in accordance with the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol); (c) Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of such training. Conditions of detention 26. The Committee appreciates the State party’s efforts to avoid overcrowding in prisons through the construction of new correctional facilities and the introduction of alternative non-custodial measures, such as electronic monitoring. However, it notes with concern reports indicating that 10 of the 27 prisons in Austria are currently overstretched. The Committee also expresses concern about the long-standing shortage of prison personnel, which has led to long periods where prisoners are locked up and limited activities aimed at their social reintegration. Lastly, the Committee is concerned that solitary confinement may be imposed for up to four weeks in the case of adult detainees and up to two weeks for juveniles (arts. 11 and 16). 27. The State party should: (a) Continue to take the measures necessary to prevent overcrowding of the penitentiary institutions and other detention facilities, including through a broader application of non-custodial treatment; (b) Recruit and train a sufficient number of prison personnel to ensure the adequate treatment of detainees; (c) Bring its legislation and practice on solitary confinement into line with international standards, in particular abolish its application to juveniles. Health care in prisons 28. The Committee is concerned at reports of inadequate medical and mental health care provided to mentally ill inmates, including a recent highly publicized case of grave neglect of a 74-year-old detainee in pretrial detention. It also notes that, despite the request made to 5

Select target paragraph3