CAT/OP/BRA/2/Add.1 well. A Ministry of Justice survey in 2008 found that community councils tend also to include representatives of religious bodies, municipal secretariats, service associations, city councils, trade unions, universities, NGOs, the Department of Prosecution, the judiciary and others.22 93. The community councils are set up by ordinance by the courts responsible for sentence enforcement, and cover one judicial district (which may include several municipalities). After its first meeting, members draw up rules of procedure on matters such as officers, frequency of meetings and rules of debate. 94. Community council members are independent and in practice have a wide scope of action, as they help to oversee prison policy. The councils have been involved in the following areas: representing and mediating in the community; seeking resources from public and private sources; making presentations on prison policy to collegiate bodies and local and regional organizations; and formulating and recommending comprehensive policies for attending to prisoners and former prisoners. 95. The community council is the body closest to prison routine and to the community. Its potential to combine local and global strengths and to propose measures for monitoring prison conditions is high. In dealing with state prison administration agencies, its main functions are: (a) Assistance: outreach to families, convicts and ex-convicts in emergencies; (b) Material aid for prisons: equipment acquisition; participation in renovation work; (c) Oversight: respect for rights; use of appropriations; performance of public institutions involved in the application of criminal penalties; (d) Community representation/mediation: requests for resources from public and private sources, presentations on prison policy to collegiate bodies and local and regional organizations, formulating and recommending integrated policies for attending to prisoners and former prisoners; (e) Educating the community about prison affairs; media communications, participation in forums and local and regional seminars, participation in training for people working with inmates; (f) Advisory: formulating opinions on use of appropriations and making proposals for public policy. 96. As sentence oversight bodies, community councils have privileged access to prisons and inmates, to officials and to the information necessary for independent oversight. When irregularities are observed, they are reported to the competent bodies or, where possible, the council members help seek solutions to the problems. 97. A 2010 survey by the Federal Government and the National Council of Justice identified a total of 1,046 community councils, a figure that covers roughly one third of the 22 By law (Sentence Enforcement Act (No. 7210), art. 81), community councils are required to: I. Visit the correctional facilities located in the judicial district at least once a month; II. Interview inmates; III. Submit monthly reports to the sentencing judge and the Penitentiary Council; IV. Make efforts to secure material and human resources for the best care of prisoners and detainees, in agreement with the administration of the institution. GE.14-42059 23