world. For instance, during the visit to establishment no. 8, prisoners mentioned in their conversation with the Special Preventive Group members that they are unable to send correspondence, use telephone and have visitations during their time in a de-escalation room. Furthermore, during the visit252 made to establishment no. 3, the Group studying the documentation of the establishment revealed that in 44% of placements in a safe room, disciplinary penalties were imposed on the prisoners (restriction of telephone conversations, visits and personal correspondence) during their time in the safe room. The Public Defender observes that it is impermissible to resort to security measures for punitive purposes as such measures should only serve the statutory objective of ensuring the safety of people in a penitentiary establishment. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary group should be actively working with a prisoner placed in a de-escalation room, in accordance with a relevant strategy. The prisoners in semi-open type establishments face particular problems when making phone calls, as there are not enough telephone devices available. In their conversations with the Special Preventive Group members, the prisoners said that they had to stand in lines for telephones and often some of the prisoners are unable to exercise their statutory right in time. As regards the closed-type penitentiary establishments, as the telephone devices are placed in guard’s room, it is impossible to have a confidential conversation. 3.7.5. CORRESPONDENCE In 2016, 19,821 personal correspondences in total were dispatched form penitentiary establishments. Under Article 16.1 of the Imprisonment Code, an remand/convicted person, as determined by this Code, has the right to send and receive an unlimited number of letters, except as provided for by this Code. Under Article 16.4 of the Code, the correspondence of an remand/convicted person is subject to inspection, which includes visual inspection without reading its content. In cases of extreme necessity, when there is a well-grounded belief that the dissemination of information will pose a threat to public order, public security or rights and freedoms of other persons, the administration may read the correspondence and, if necessary, not send it to the addressee. The sender shall be immediately notified of this action. Paragraph 7 of the draft law of Georgia on Amendment to the Imprisonment Code proposes the new wording of Article 16 of the Code to the effect of prohibiting correspondence among remand/convicted persons placed in penitentiary establishments. The Public Defender does not approve of such a blanket restriction. Communication among remand/convicted persons placed in penitentiary establishments can be restricted only in exceptional conditions, upon the existence of concrete facts and circumstances that are substantiated in each individual case. Besides, it should be noted that the explanatory memorandum of the draft law does not explain the necessity warranting the adoption of such a restrictive provision. The Public Defender of Georgia observes that the blanket 252 Visit was made on 23-25 May 2016. 116 HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CLOSED INSTITUTIONS