to good atmosphere in the Centre. It is therefore necessary to take measures to reduce the negative emotions and improve interpersonal relations between the patients and the Centre's staff426. After the meeting, which was attended not only by psychologists but also lawyers and virologists, the CHR presented experts’ advice and suggestions that could help improve the situation in the Centre. Its director did not participate in the meeting although he had been invited427. The deteriorating atmosphere resulted in 30 patients starting a hunger protest on 23 June 2020. Bu then, the Centre’s patients had presented their numerous demands. They expected, among others, improvement of living conditions, re-introduction of the possibility to use courier services and order meals from the outside, to make purchases, to have air-conditioners installed in rooms and to be treated better (which included e.g. longer walking times, removal of CCTV cameras from the bathrooms, abandonment of preventive use of handcuffs, introduction of the possibility to meet with the director of the Centre on monthly basis, etc.)428. Also of great importance was the fact that the Centre had been overcrowded for a long time which resulted in lower quality of the living conditions (on the day of the protest, there were 87 patients in the Centre). On 29 June an agreement was concluded between the patients and the Centre director, which ended the hunger protest. Negotiations on the agreement were held with the participation of a mediator, an impartial person registered as a professional mediator. The director of the Centre agreed to most of the postulates. As a result of the agreement, some restrictions were lifted. Patients again have the possibility to: purchase products from a mobile van shop (with all the necessary precautions), use courier deliveries to the premises of the Centre, order meals from the outside (bars, restaurants, etc.), maintain contacts via private mobile phones, laptops and tablets with unlimited access to the internet. Contacts via Skype are possible only from private devices of the patients, because there is no possibility in the Centre to assign a separate place where they could talk to other people freely and in private. The director of the Centre has informed that he has been meeting with the patients once a month, since August 2020. Such meetings take place in each ward. The patients select two representatives of the ward for the meeting, and have the possibility to hold individual meetings too. Visits to patients continue to be prohibited, except for attorneys and legal representatives429. 426 https://www.rpo.gov.pl/pl/content/rpo-w-sprawie-sytuacji-w-KOZZD-Gostynin 427 https://www.rpo.gov.pl/sites/default/files/RPO%20do%20KOZZD%20po%20spotkaniu%2015%20maja%2C %2022.05.2020.pdf 428 The CHR informed the Minister of Health about the situation in the Gostynin Centre in sending a general intervention letter on 25.06.2020. (IX.517.1376.2020.ED). 429 https://www.rpo.gov.pl/sites/default/files/Odp.%20dyrektora%20KOZZD%20ws%20sytuacji%20w%20O%C5 %9Brodku%20w%20Gostyninie%2C%2023.09.2020.pdf 153