The newly renovated toilets of the cells have a semi-insulated door, making the isolation
difficult in 2 and more place cells. It should also be noted that there are surveillance
cameras in front of the toilets in the cells, which looks directly at the prisoners while
they’re serving their natural needs. The ventilation is not installed in the toilets of the
cells, and the ventilation of the cells themselves is not sufficient. The common showers
of the second residential building are only naturally ventilated. In some of the cells,
water gets dammed in the bathroom sinks.
There are 6 investigation rooms in the establishment. In addition to the investigative authorities, the prisoners meet lawyers, religious leaders, representatives of international
organizations and representatives of the Ombudsman, with whom conversation confidentiality is guaranteed by law. All rooms are equipped with a surveillance camera. Most
of the prisoners believe that the audio or video recording of their conversation occurs in
these investigation rooms, having a negative impact on the openness of prisoners and
restricting them during the conversation.
In the 2014 Annual Report to the Parliament, the Public Defender addressed the Minister of Corrections with the recommendation to ensure proper ventilation for residential
as well as solitary confinement and quarantine cells, investigation rooms and shower
rooms of the establishment N6. It should be noted that the recommendation was taken
into account only with regards to solitary confinement cells, and there is still a problem
as regards quarantine, investigation and shower rooms.
2.4.1.5. Establishment N7 of the Penitentiary Department
The establishment N7 is notable for hard living conditions, on which the Public Defender
has repeatedly addressed60 the Minister of Corrections, including the recommendation
to close this institution. These problems are described in detail in 2013 and 2014 the
Parliamentary Reports of the Public Defender, although the issue has not been resolved
and no steps were taken towards the closure either.
The facility has 27 cells. Out of these 14 are double-occupancy cells, 5 cells are meant for
4 prisoners, and the remaining 8 cells are designed for eight prisoners each. In double
cells N3 and N6 detainees were not placed due to repairmen works. Double cell area is
about 7 square meters, four –place cells - 9 square meters, and eight-place cells - 14.5
square meters. Double cells have area of 3.5 square meters per prisoner, four-place
cells - 2.25 square meters, and the eight-place cells -1.8 square meters. The table, the
type of penitentiary institution shall not be less than 4 square meters per prisoner”.
60 30/07/2013 Recommendation N03-3/513; 16/12/2013 Recommendation N894/03-5;
19/02/2014 Recommendation N03/458.
58
NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2015
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