CAT/OP/CRI/ROSP/1 law, has resulted in a situation in which, at the time of the delegation’s visit, one boy and one girl between 12 and 15 years of age were effectively being held in solitary confinement in their respective cell blocks, as they were unable to interact with anyone besides the prison personnel. 88. The centre’s infrastructure was antiquated and dilapidated, with scant space for leisure or recreational activities and accommodation areas that did not meet the rehabilitation needs of adolescents. In particular, the maximum-security units G1 and G2 featured one-person cells that were dark and dirty, with cement beds, thin mattresses without sheets and bathrooms in appalling conditions; these cells were locked between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. Adolescents had only a small inner courtyard (37.4 m 2) in which to relax in; this courtyard, which was surrounded by bars, was very damp (41.8 per cent humidity), owing to clothes that had been hung out to dry. Some of the children and adolescents interviewed in these cell blocks claimed that they had suffered abuse by security guards with truncheons. They further alleged that they had only one hour of sunlight per day and that sometimes they did not go out for several days. In other cell blocks, owing to disputes between various children and adolescents, the centre had introduced staggered times for use of the courtyards by different groups. The centre’s management recognized that a shortage of personnel meant that children and adolescents had fewer opportunities to enjoy the courtyard and to play sports. It was noted, furthermore, that the personnel lacked specific training to deal with children and adolescents in conflict with the law. 89. The Subcommittee was alarmed at the number of children and adolescents who displayed cuts as a result of self-harm. Various children and adolescents who were interviewed stated that they engaged in self-harm in order to obtain medical attention or to leave the cell block or as a form of escape. Although some were receiving psychological treatment, the lack of a comprehensive approach to dealing with this issue was cause for concern. Some children and adolescents complained of insufficient access to medical care. 90. The Subcommittee noted that the nursery provided a totally different, and wholly appropriate, environment for mothers with children, although a few persons deprived of their liberty mentioned insufficient paediatric assistance. 91. Although administrators informed the visiting delegation that activities such as crafts and botanical workshops were held at the centre, the children and adolescents interviewed mentioned only school, weekly visits to a gymnasium or an amusement arcade and paid work, such as yardwork and kitchen and cleaning duties. Children and adolescents in pretrial detention do not have access to these activities. 92. Despite the fact that the law specifically provides for the right of children not to be held incommunicado under any circumstances or to be placed in solitary confinement, the Subcommittee found, during its visit, that several children and adolescents were being held in solitary confinement cells. The centre’s administrators themselves confirmed that solitary confinement could be imposed and that the juvenile justice enforcement judge must be informed when the period of confinement exceeded 24 hours. Other children and adolescents who were interviewed mentioned the absence of a disciplinary procedure, as well as the use of collective punishments and the suspension of visits as punitive measures, in contravention of juvenile criminal law. 93. The Subcommittee also visited the Ofelia Vincenzi young adult specialized centre, which houses men between 18 and 25 years old who committed crimes as minors. The main issues observed were outdated infrastructure, insufficient access to medical care and the presence of security guards during psychological consultations. Although the majority of the persons deprived of their liberty were participating in an educational programme and a few had access to paid work, the facilities did not provide enough space for educational, recreational or rehabilitation activities. 94. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party: (a) Consider making amendments to juvenile criminal legislation to bring it into line with the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; (b) Redesign the centres that accommodate children and adolescents in conflict with the law in order to avoid uprooting and to meet the social reintegration GE.21-00153 15