from many of the women interviewed that the most common types of abuse inflicted by the police included slapping, kicking, hitting and verbal abuse. In some cases, the allegations were later confirmed by prison directors, who reported confidentially to members of the delegation that many women had arrived at their prisons with evidence of numerous blows and visible injuries on various parts of their bodies. (d)Physical conditions 111.The delegation found that, almost without exception, the physical conditions in which persons deprived of their liberty were held were very poor. The cells in the police stations visited were generally not equipped to hold people for more than a few hours, although the physical conditions varied from place to place. In Office No. 14 of the Deputy Attorney-General in Guadalajara, the delegation found two types of cells: a two-person cell measuring approximately 4.5 square metres and a somewhat larger four-person cell, equipped with one or two concrete cots, a toilet and a washbasin. At the time of the visit, the delegation found them to be in satisfactory condition. The cells received little natural light, which came from the corridor. With respect to ventilation, the air conditioning was constantly on and set to very low temperatures. The detainees who were interviewed told members of the delegation that the temperatures were very low and were even lower at night, a situation which the members of the delegation confirmed during their visit. 112.In the same facility, members of the delegation were informed that detainees were not given blankets or covers with which to cover themselves at night, and several detainees reported that it was common practice to lower the temperature even further at night. In most of the detention facilities visited, detained persons were not provided with toilet paper or soap, and in many cases they did not even have access to drinking water. In Office No. 14 of the Deputy Attorney-General in Guadalajara, Jalisco, for example, the toilets were positioned right up against the bars of the cells; consequently, detainees had no privacy at all when using them. Moreover, according to the allegations received, the women’s detention section was supervised only by men. Detainees were generally held in places that were unsanitary, cramped and overcrowded, and they had an inadequate or unreliable supply of food. The delegation observed that, in all the states visited, it was generally family members who provided food for detainees, owing to lack of a budget for food. Such situations, in which the State does not ensure the supply of food for all persons under its custody, constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. 113.In the Alamey municipal police station in Monterrey there were 11 cells, only 1 of which was for women. Some of these cells were empty, while others were overcrowded. All had stone benches along the walls and a toilet inside the cell, without any hygienic supplies. Detainees told members of the delegation that no mattresses, blankets or covers were provided during the night, although the delegation noted that one of the cells was used for storage of blankets. Access to natural light and ventilation in the cells were adequate. The facility also had a room in which the belongings and personal effects of detainees were stored, an office for the registration of detainees on arrival, a doctor’s office, a visiting room, a cell for minors and common areas consisting of a canteen with tables and benches and a bathroom (for both sexes) with four showers and several closets. Members of the delegation could not consider the state of hygiene and maintenance of this facility satisfactory. They were told that food was provided twice daily and, according to detainees, the food was insufficient and of poor quality. Members of the delegation observed numerous cockroaches in the canteen. 114. The Subcommittee recommends that the State review and abolish the widespread practice of publicly exhibiting to the mass media detainees who have not yet been convicted or advised of their rights and provided legal defence, as this type of exposure is not only likely to lead to their incrimination, but also constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. 115. The Subcommittee recommends that the State institute training and awareness-raising on torture prevention for the police officers most likely to commit acts of abuse of authority during the arrest process. It also recommends that when it is necessary to control people who exhibit violent behaviour, instruments and methods that avoid adverse effects on the person should be used and no more force should be employed than is strictly necessary and justified by the principles of legal and proportionate use of force and the circumstances of each case. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party strengthen control measures to prevent any arbitrariness on the part of police officers when arresting someone. The Subcommittee also urges the State to implement the necessary measures to prevent detainees from being forced to pay arbitrary fines to law enforcement officers in order to avoid being subjected to unnecessary detention in police stations. 116. The Subcommittee recommends that the following actions should be taken to improve physical conditions at police and municipal detention facilities: All cells in police stations should be clean and of a reasonable size for the number of people detained there Light and ventilation should be adequate Detainees should be provided with mattresses and blankets or covers when they are required to spend the night in a detention facility Detainees should be provided with basic necessary personal hygiene products Detainees should have access to drinking water and should be given sufficient food of adequate quality Detainees incarcerated for more than 24 hours should be given the opportunity to engage in physical exercise for one hour each day The personnel responsible for guarding detainees should include both men and women and only female guards should be