(b)Prison personnel shortages 168.The delegation members observed marked personnel shortages in all the prisons visited. The number of guards and warders was very low in almost all facilities, which meant that the administration of the various establishments was unable to exercise its authority without involving inmates in the maintenance of order and discipline. The Subcommittee recommends that the State take steps to increase prison personnel dramatically in order to ensure sufficient staff to maintain discipline in prisons and carry out effective supervision in all parts of the various establishments. (c)Insufficiency of physical resources 169.The delegation also noted a shortage of physical resources in most prisons it visited. This shortage points to another major obstacle to improving prison conditions in Mexico: overcrowding. This is a problem worldwide, and causes many prisoners to have to live in degrading situations. The conditions in which many inmates in the State party are held struck members of the delegation, who saw first-hand the dire consequences of overcrowding. For example, most prisoners had to pay to have access to basic services, such as keeping their beds in a cell block or dormitory, or simply to have access to a particular cell. 170.The lack and scarcity of physical resources oblige prisoners to live in dire conditions and make it impossible for prisoners to carry out day-to-day activities, let alone activities that might benefit them, such as continuing their studies or participating in training programmes. (d)Records 171.With respect to records, the delegation noted that most of the facilities visited did not have a well-organized records system that included not only information on prisoners’ entry into the prison and the reasons for their imprisonment, but also all relevant data about them, any disciplinary action imposed in the prison itself, the length of such sanctions and the official ordering them. The Subcommittee recommends the establishment of a uniform system for recording prisoner intake. Such records should be kept by all prisons in the State party in bound registration books with numbered pages. The record should clearly indicate: the prisoner ’ s identity, the reasons for their commitment and the authority therefor, and the date and time of their admission and release. Prison staff should be instructed in the use of such records, and in particular that there must be no blank spaces left between entries. In addition, the Subcommittee recommends the establishment of a uniform system of records of disciplinary action, stating the identity of the offender, the disciplinary sanction imposed, the duration thereof and the official ordering the sanction. (e)Medical examinations 172.The delegation observed that in all the prisons visited there was a doctor who performed medical examinations in accordance with a form issued by government authorities, although the length of this form varied considerably from one place to another. However, none of the medical examination forms which the delegation was shown had a specific space for describing the detainee’s treatment by the police at the time of arrest. Regarding the supply of medicines, in many cases the supply is inadequate and prisoners receive only one prescription with which to purchase them. For that reason, coupled with lack of money or financial support from their families, many of these people do not receive needed treatment. In some facilities, the doctor visited all dormitories every day, but this is not the practice in all prisons. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party ensure that such medical monitoring be carried out in all prisons. The Subcommittee wishes to remind the State party of the importance of medical examinations for people entering prison. Such examinations not only have a preventive function in deterring acts of torture and mistreatment of people transferred from police facilities, but they also make it possible to determine whether the prisoner exhibits signs of earlier abuse and to assess when such abuse occurred. They also provide a good opportunity to assess prisoners’ health status and needs, perform voluntary testing, and provide advice on sexually transmitted diseases and information on programmes for preventing such diseases. 173.The delegation noted that many of the doctors providing services in prisons had not received specialized training. Delegation members also noted deficiencies in the records of prisoner medical examinations. They also found that prisons did not keep up-to-date statistical records of inmate deaths. The Subcommittee recommends that forms be designed for recording all prisoner medical examinations. Such forms should include space for a description of any traumatic injuries and for an evaluation by the physician of the consistency between current health status and symptoms, the clinical findings and a history of abuse. The form should also include a record of the prisoner ’ s communicable disease history; the date and time of the examination; the prisoner ’ s name, age and cell number; and the diagnosis and any other relevant information. The Subcommittee also recommends that the State party take the necessary steps to ensure the existence of both institutional records (maintained by each prison) and central records (maintained by the state or federal government) of deaths, including the name and age of the deceased, the place and cause of death, the findings of the post mortem examination and information on the circumstances surrounding the death in the case of deaths not found to be the result of natural causes. In addition, the Subcommittee recommends that the State party increase prison budgets, allocating sufficient funds for the supply of drugs to inmates who need them. The Subcommittee also recommends that the State party develop specialized courses for physicians who provide medical services in prisons, covering topics such as infectious diseases, epidemiology, hygiene and forensic medicine including documentation of injuries and medical ethics. Physicians should be required to participate in specialized courses that include training in human rights policy in general and the obligations of health personnel in places of detention in particular. Santa María Ixcotel Prison