Report of the Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture in Poland in 2017 2. Living conditions Multi-occupancy cells The NMPT, with concern, recorded the existence of two, 13-person cells 31. Such cells fail to ensure even a minimum level of privacy; they lead to conflicts, threats and violence and are a breeding ground for the development of criminal subcultures32. Prisoner’s account: “I ended up in an isolation cell, as I had beaten up another inmate. I did it in order to be on my own, for a while at least. In the cell in which I am serving my sentence there is not even a minimum of privacy” Necessary renovations In general, residential cells were in good physical condition. In one of the establishments the representatives of the NMPT pointed out to the necessity to perform some renovation work (they discovered damaged sanitary fittings and destroyed area outside the sanitary corners of washbasins, damp walls, multiple spots with plaster flaking off the wall)33. Unjustified violation of the intimacy of prisoners The NMPT representatives also encountered solutions which infringe on the sense of prisoners’ intimacy, such as: uncovered sanitary corner in the isolation cell 34, missing separation screens between shower stands in the bath35. Hot water in cells can still be a luxury Not all cells had access to hot water. Yet, renovation work was conducted to remedy that situation36. 31 Pre-trial detention centre in Grójec 32 CPT 11th General Report, CPT/Inf (2001) 16, Article 29 33 Pre-trial detention centre in Wałbrzych 34 Pre-trial detention centre in Grójec, prison in Malbork 35 Pre-trial detention centre in Wałbrzych 36 Pre-trial detention centre in Wałbrzych, prison in Herby 20