VISITS BY THE JOINT COMMISSION have not yet been concluded. As well as respecting people’s sense of shame, account also needs to be taken of other aspects, such as practicability. The remedying of the reported security flaws (the window which does not fit seamlessly into the wall) and the installation of a ventilation system are both still being examined. There is no separate ventilation anywhere in the secure and observation ward (Block 6). The cells can therefore get very hot, especially in the summer. Various people whom the delegation spoke to during the visit confirmed this. The Joint Commission recommends installing a ventilation system. Response: The various options for installing a ventilation system are currently being examined. In view of the presumably very high costs, implementation of this building measure will require a long lead-time. The house rules for pre-trial detention and custodial sentences are only available in German. The facility has several staff members who speak the relevant foreign languages and, in the rare cases where this is necessary, it calls in an interpreter during the admissions meeting. However, some 80% of the juveniles have a migration background, and as a result they sometimes have extreme difficulty understanding what they are being told. The Joint Commission therefore suggests having the house rules translated into a larger number of languages commonly spoken by prisoners. The house rules in particular contain information which is important for prisoners and at the same time inform them of their rights. They should therefore also be readily comprehensible for non-German-speaking prisoners. The Joint Commission would also like to suggest being included in the list of those institutions whose correspondence with prisoners is not monitored. Response: A translation of the house rules has been commissioned. The National Agency has been included in all of Hamburg’s laws which relate to the justice system. There has possibly been a misunderstanding here. The Joint Commission requests that it too be included in the house rules in the list of facilities whose correspondence with prisoners is not monitored. Several juveniles informed the Joint Commission that the evening meal was insufficient, since an unlimited supply of bread was available but not nearly enough toppings. The Joint Commission suggests following up on these complaints. Response: The facility followed up on the complaints voiced by several juveniles to the Joint Commission, namely that the evening meal, especially toppings, was not sufficient. Such complaints have in the past also been made directly to the head of the facility. The quantities of toppings provided objectively correspond to the findings of nutritional science. For organisational reasons the evening meal is handed out together with breakfast. On account of the layout of the facility, which has many buildings spread across a large area, this is the only practicable solution. Prisoners should learn (incl. from a pedagogical perspective) to ration their portions for the evening meal and for breakfast the next morning. The portions are appropriate. Some prisoners find this hard to do. Perhaps this may be due to them being given as much bread as they like, but that toppings are measured out (with the exception of margarine). Some prisoners may feel there is a discrepancy in this. Others, by contrast, appreciate the fact that the evening meal is handed out together with breakfast, because they can then freely choose what they prefer to eat in the evening and what they want to keep for breakfast. Some prisoners do not eat breakfast and thus prefer to eat the food allocated to them for breakfast in the evening. The head of the facility has previously received positive feedback about this modus operandi. 2.4.2 – Positive findings It is worth mentioning that, according to several juveniles, relations with prison staff are good. Positive mention should also be made of the wide range of social pedagogical measures and training courses available in the prison. 2.5 – NEUSTRELITZ JUVENILE INSTITUTION, 22 JULY 2014 The Joint Commission visited Neustrelitz Juvenile Institution on 22 July 2014. Neustrelitz Juvenile Institution is a closed facility with one open unit. It is the central juvenile institution in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and has a capacity of 282. 2.5.1 – Recommendations and response The delegation was notified several times of the recent amendment made to unlocking times in the Juvenile Institution. Under the new regulation, the doors to the detention cells are secured during unlocking times so that prisoners cannot retire into their rooms. The aim is to prevent prisoners attacking each other. In meetings with the Joint Commission prisoners complained about the new rule. They complained about the fact that the checks during unlocking times are not done every 15 minutes but only once an hour. That, for instance, meant that it was not always possible to ensure that prisoners can quickly access the sanitary facilities. There are neither toilets on the landing nor a call button, which means that the only means prisoners have of drawing attention to themselves is by knocking on the door. The minutes of meetings of the prison advisory committee, which were made available to the Joint Commission, also show that the rule on unlocking times has been raised 40