3. Prisons and security detention Long-standing recommendations of the NPM regarding the prevention of ill-treatment in prisons can be found on pages 21 and 22. Success of our recommendations to the Prison Service ―― When dealing with healthcare complaints, the Prison Service will advise the complainants on the possibility of turning to an external authority (the Ministry of Justice) if their complaint is not resolved satisfactorily. ―― In April 2018, remuneration for working prisoners was increased for the first time in 17 years. The Government is now discussing a proposal to link the amount of remuneration to the minimum wage. If the proposal is adopted, the monthly remuneration will correspond to 50% of the minimum wage. Prisoner labour is attractive for private employers and increased remuneration will help prisoners repay their debts already during the service of their term in prison. Debts are a factor influencing the convicts’ tendency towards recidivism upon release. ―― In the Kuřim Prison, the areas for barrier visits have been renovated. ―― In the Bělušice Prison, a non-smoking area has been created after the smoking area was previously removed without substitute arrangements. Given the fact that a majority of convicts were smokers, the non-smokers were exposed to the adverse effects of passive smoking. Will politicians focus on prisons? ―― In September 2018, the petitions committee of the Chamber of Deputies tasked the Public Defender of Rights with monitoring the prison system in more detail, especially in terms of the conditions of imprisonment and their compliance with European standards. ―― In December 2018, we met with the Minister of Justice to again remind him of problems caused by prison overcrowding and the lack of vision in penal policy. ―― Nevertheless, systemic recommendations included in the summary report of 2016 remain unimplemented. Report on visits to prisons A summary of the implementation of recommendations as of the beginning of 2018 is included in the Annual Report on page 12. 16