➢ that the minimum living space per inmate be increased to a minimum of 4 m2 in multi-person cells (excluding the toilet and bathroom area) and to 6 m2 in single cells. The official capacity of the cells should be adjusted accordingly; ➢ that the distance of 2 m between the cell walls be ensured. Cells that do not meet the standard should be reconstructed or decommissioned. The remand prison Warszawa-Białołęka has not implemented the recommendation. The measurements of selected cells, made by members of the NMPT delegation, indicated that they met only the current national standard (3 m2) but did not meet the living space standard recommended by the CPT. Also, in some cells, the space between the walls was less than 2m. The remand prison Warszawa-Służewiec has implemented the recommendation in part. The visiting team did not find any cells where the distance between the walls would be less than 2 m and the distance between the floor and the ceiling would be less than 2.5 m. Some of the visited cells also met the living space standard of 4 m2 per inmate (or a few centimetres less). Window blinds The CPT expressed its disapproval for the cell protection solution in the form of non-transparent window blinds. In the opinion of the Committee, the solution is, in most cases, unnecessary. It blocks the possibility to look outside and limits access of natural light and fresh air to the cells. The CPT recommended that the Polish authorities remove the blinds and, if they are really necessary, replace them with ones that allow access of natural light and fresh air to the cells in sufficient amounts155. The remand prison Warszawa-Białołęka has implemented the recommendation. The remand prison Warszawa-Służewiec has not implemented the recommendation. Some windows in the cells still have non-transparent blinds. As the visiting team members were informed during the visit, the blinds were replaced with new ones in 2019, which proves that modernization works have been carried out, yet the solution did not take the CPT recommendations into account. Activities for remand prisoners The CPT drew attention to the daily regime of remand prisoners. Most of the inmates from this group spent about 23 hours per day in their cells. Penitentiary establishments offered them only the possibility of outdoor exercise (for one hour a day) and of spending time in the association room (up to one hour, several times a week)156. 155 See CPT report on the visit to Poland, CPT/Inf (2018) 39, para. 69. 156 Ibid., para. 72. 67

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