a need. They were recommended to conduct self-observation and report any symptoms of infection. The JEC staff’s opinions on the cooperation with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service in Limanowa were very negative. They expected assistance and cooperation but they felt unwanted and “a disturbance of the system”. Guidelines of the Ministry of National Education and the related safety procedures Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Ministry of National Education has been sending information to the directors of the JECs, with guidelines regarding the operation of the facilities during the pandemic. The guidelines concerned: limitations on leaving the facility by the juveniles; suspension of leaves and received visits, cooperation of JEC directors with the sanitary service and crisis teams reporting to county governments277. In addition, Ms. Joanna Wilewska, Director of the Department of Integrative Education at the Ministry of National Education, on 19 March 2020 requested the Minister of Health to consider the possibility of introducing regulations enabling the coronavirus testing requirement for JEC juveniles who return to the centre after escaping, or who have newly arrived to the centre.278. However, the request was considered ungrounded by the Minister of Health279. The remote monitoring visits carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic at the juvenile educational centres by representatives of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture demonstrated that despite the above-described actions and guidelines, the centres required greater support from the government and the authorities managing and supervising the centres’ operation. The guidelines for the JEC directors, sent by the Ministry of National Education were helpful, but insufficient. In discussions with the representatives of the National Mechanism, directors and employees of the centres repeatedly expressed the need for greater support from the Ministry of National Education. In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the centres developed new regulations or implemented the existing ones. They regulated the work of the facilities during the epidemic situation in the country. At the initial stage of the pandemic, the new recommendations related e.g. to: 277 Letter from the Ministry of National Education to the directors of juvenile educational centres of 16/03/2020 (ref. no. DWKI-WSPE.5015.7.2020.KT). Letter from the Director of the Ministry of National Education’s Department of Integrative Education and Training to the Minister of Health on 19 March 2020 (ref. no. DWKI-WSPE.5015.17.2020). 278 279 Reply of the Minister of Health of 10 April 2020 (ref. no. ZPP.051.74.2020.DJZ). 104