Report on the Performance of Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism for 2017 Persons serving the prison sentence within the misdemeanour proceedings (offenders) or persons subject to detention in line with the Misdemeanour Act are accommodated in extremely poor conditions. Persons serving the prison sentence within the misdemeanour proceedings (offenders) or persons subject to detention in line with the Misdemeanour Act are accommodated in especially poor conditions. For instance, in the Zagreb County Prison, the room for offenders is packed with 24 2 beds. Compared to the room size (89.3 m ), this number exceeds the legally allowed limit by two beds. In addition, joint accommodation of a large number of persons is contrary to the position of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) because such conditions increase the risk of prison violence and cannot provide for privacy. This also applied to the Karlovac County Prison where, during our visit, nine offenders were accommodated in a room 26.33 m2 in size. Given that it was furnished with 10 beds, its total size should equal 40 m2. Furthermore, beds are only 45 cm apart, not enabling a minimum level of privacy. Rooms often lack chairs and tables so offenders are forced to eat in their beds that they occupy 22 hours a day. Due to the lack of bedside tables, some of them keep their personal belongings in bin bags or boxes that they keep under the bed. In both of these prisons, lavatories are not completely separated from the rest of the room and this makes the living conditions even harsher. During the visit to the Karlovac County Prison, an offender said that, after being put in a room in which everyone smoked, he took on smoking again, even though he quit several years ago. Serving prison sentence in such conditions represents breach of their rights and is degrading, which is why they have to be aligned with legal and international standards without delay. Due to inappropriate accommodation conditions, some small prisons, for example, Zadar and Karlovac County Prisons, cannot provide for different organized free-time activities. Prisoners spend 22 hours a day locked in their rooms. In other words, they serve their prison sentence as if they were executing remand imprisonment. During the field visits, special attention was paid to the quality of food available in the Bjelovar and Dubrovnik County Prisons. Standard menus contain information about energy content for each of the three meals, as well as the total energy content of a daily menu. No energy content is indicated for diet menus and additional meals. The Bjelovar County Prison does not apply written norms for preparation of food served in line with the diet menu. On the other hand, the Dubrovnik County Prison does not take into account all the parameters. In this context, it is not clear how doctors’ dietary guidelines are taken into consideration for each individual health problem to control the disease and/or alleviate the symptoms thereof. A doctor determines a diet plan and employees working in a prison kitchen are issued written guidelines on the appropriate diet for certain medical conditions, but it seems that they do not comply with them. Treatment work with prisoners Insufficient number of officials working in the treatment departments has negative effects on respect of prisoners’ rights. For instance, in order to ensure the minimum conditions for smooth work of the treatment department in the Glina State Prison, at least three officials have to be employed urgently. In 10