191. Because the State is ultimately responsible for violations of the human rights of private individuals that may be
committed in places of detention, the Subcommittee recommends that appropriate action be taken in each place of
detention, following a situation, risk and opportunity assessment, to eliminate situations that may create a risk of torture
or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In the light of the foregoing and in the interests of prevention, the
Subcommittee recommends an immediate review of the condition of prisoners in cell block No. 19 and other similar areas
at the Santa María Ixcotel Prison in Oaxaca, where there is a situation of extreme overcrowding.
192. The Subcommittee recommends that special attention be given to the problem of overpopulation and overcrowding
and that the State party make every effort to improve conditions for people deprived of their liberty. The Subcommittee
urges the State party to draw up an action plan and prioritize the allocation of budgetary resources for the improvement
of detention facilities across the country.
193. The Subcommittee recommends increasing the staff of places of detention in order to ensure overall security in such
places and to protect officers and prisoners from possible violent acts by other prisoners. The Subcommittee
recommends that, in accordance with the minimum international standards, the staff of places of detention should receive
adequate remuneration and be given general and specialized training and that they should undergo theoretical and
practical testing to assess their ability to perform their duties.
194. The Subcommittee recommends that all detention facilities should have disciplinary regulations that stipulate (a) the
actions that constitute disciplinary offences; (b) the nature and duration of any disciplinary sanctions imposed; and (c)
the official authorized to impose such sanctions.
195. The Subcommittee recommends strengthening the implementation of the Istanbul Protocol by ensuring independent,
prompt and thorough investigations and by ensuring that the professionals who render medical and psychological
opinions belong to forensic medicine institutes with demonstrated independence and that independent expert testimony
be admitted at relevant stages of legal proceedings in accordance with the applicable criteria for judicial examination.
196. The Subcommittee recommends that appropriate action be taken in all detention facilities to eliminate any
situations that might create a risk of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In particular, the Subcommittee
recommends that an immediate review be conducted of the condition of prisoners in cell block No. 19 and other similar
areas at the Santa María Ixcotel Prison in Oaxaca, where there is a situation of extreme overcrowding.
197. The Subcommittee recommends that record-keeping systems in prisons be improved.
198. In order to improve physical conditions in prisons, the Subcommittee recommends the following:
All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners should have adequate ventilation and heating, as appropriate
(Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, rule 10)
All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners should have natural light, fresh air and adequate artificial light
(Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, rule 11)
The sanitary installations should be clean and decent (Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, rule 12)
Adequate bathing and shower installations should be provided (Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,
rule 13)
Prisoners should be provided with necessary toilet articles (Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,
rule 15)
Every prisoner should be provided with a separate bed and with separate and sufficient bedding (Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, rule 19)
Prisoners should be provided with food that is of wholesome quality and well prepared and served and with drinking
water (Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, rule 20)
199. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party develop a strong and transparent prison policy aimed at
combating corruption. The Subcommittee also urges the State party to take steps to increase the number of employees
who supervise the conduct of police and prison personnel.
200. The Subcommittee recommends that prison authorities manage the assignment of cells and beds so as to ensure
that each prisoner has a decent place to sleep without having to pay for it. Prison authorities should take responsibility
for enforcing this right.
201. The Subcommittee recommends that prison authorities indicate in the records of the institution and/or in the
personal file of the prisoner the cell block to which they are assigned and the reasons for that assignment. Every
institution should have transparent, written criteria and rules for assigning inmates to cell blocks.
6.Psychiatric hospitals
202.The Subcommittee delegation had the opportunity to visit two psychiatric care facilities in Oaxaca in order to assess the physical
conditions in these centres. At the Cruz del Sur Psychiatric Hospital, the delegation found obvious physical resource needs. At the
time of the visit, the hospital was in the process of rebuilding some wings. Members of the delegation noted that the hospital is staffed
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents