PART I CHANCELLOR OF JUSTICE AS NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM II PREVENTION OF ILL-TREATMENT IN PLACES OF DETENTION 1. Police detention facilities In 2012, the Chancellor inspected five police buildings, all of them in the West Prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB). The inspected facilities included the following: – PART II – – – PART III – Inspection visit to Kuressaare detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/120823); Inspection visit to Pärnu detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/121199); Inspection visit to Kärdla detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/121347); Inspection visit to Paide detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/130046); Inspection visit to Rapla detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/130046). Poor living conditions found during the previous inspection visits were the main reason why the Chancellor focused only on the police facilities in the West Prefecture during this reporting period.14 All the inspection visits were carried out without any advance notice. A general practitioner was involved as an expert in the inspection of Pärnu detention chamber and a Rescue Service official in the inspection of Pärnu and Kuressaare detention chambers. The involvement of an expert or a specialist in the inspection visit was decided by the Chancellor on the basis of the results of previous visits and the conditions prevalent in the inspected facility. In the West Prefecture the most important development with regard to the overall conditions in police detention centres in 2012 took place – at the end of the year, a completely new Kuressaare police department and bloc of cells was opened. The previous Kuressaare police department and detention chamber which the Chancellor last inspected on 3 May 2012 had unquestionably some of the poorest living conditions in Estonia, and the Chancellor had constantly pointed out these shortcomings over the years. Two main recurring problems can be highlighted in connection with inspection visits to police facilities in 2012: first, inadequate living conditions and, second, shortage of staff. These shortcomings have a negative effect on ensuring the rights of detainees.15 In addition, on some occasions problems were found in providing access to health care for detainees, recording notification of next of kin of the detainees, etc. Only in Kärdla detention chamber the Chancellor did not find any problems. A positive generalisation which can be reached on the basis of inspection visits in 2012 is that in almost all the inspected chambers drawing up proper documents in relation to detainees has significantly improved, which used to be a problem highlighted by the Chancellor in 2010 and 2011. 1.1. Living conditions Among all the inspected police facilities, inadequate living conditions most affected Pärnu and Kuressaare chambers (the latter is no longer in use). For example, the inspection revealed that neither of the facilities had an exercise yard for detainees, and in Kuressaare the cells had no windows or a toilet. Shortcomings in fire safety were also found by the Rescue Service specialist. 6 14 The Chancellor started the inspection focusing on the West Prefecture of the PBGB at the end of 2011 when on 3 November 2011 an inspection visit to Haapsalu detention chamber of the public order bureau of the West Prefecture took place. 15 The same main problems were found by the Chancellor during his inspection visits in 2011.