yards were too narrow, i.e. they offered shelter from poor weather but did not at the same time
provide enough space to sufficiently move around or train. Also, not all the exercise yards had
benches for rest. The Chancellor recommended to Viru Prison to provide sufficiently wide roofs
in the exercise yards, so as to allow detained persons to actively move around or train also in
poor weather. The Chancellor also recommended to provide each exercise yard with a resting
facility and, depending on the number of persons in each exercise yard, provide it with a bench
or benches.
Additionally, it was found that the walking time designated for juvenile detainees in Viru Prison
was mostly at unreasonably early hours (6.00 to 7.00 in the morning) and therefore they often
did not make use of it. The Chancellor found that the exercise of the right to be outdoors by
juvenile detainees should be not only a theoretical possibility but it should be possible to
realistically make use of it. Scheduling the time for outdoor exercise for early hours in the
morning is not in line with the principle under which good conditions for promoting and
supporting the development of minors should also be ensured in prison conditions. The
Chancellor recommended to Viru Prison to review the time schedule for outdoor exercise for
minors and, if necessary, change it so that spending time outdoors would be reasonably possible
for them.
In connection with the detention conditions in the new buildings of Tallinn Prison, the
Chancellor recommended to the Ministry of Justice to create conditions suitable for female
detained persons, minors and persons with disabilities for daily physical activity and training
both outdoors and indoors. In the opinion of the Chancellor, small children staying in prison
should also be ensured playing and training conditions appropriate for their age both indoors
and outdoors.
3.4. Visits
The inspection of Tallinn Prison raised a question whether the room on the second floor of the
accommodation building E1 was suitable for confidential communication. According to the
prison service, the room was also used for meetings with the lawyers and counsel. The
Chancellor recommended to Tallinn Prison to take measures to ensure that conversations in the
room could not be easily overheard in the storeroom next to it. In its reply Tallinn Prison said
it was looking for a solution how to prevent the sound from the room reaching the neighbouring
storeroom.
The convicted prisoners who talked to the Chancellor’s advisers during the inspection visit to
Viru Prison complained that although it would be most convenient for their next of kin to come
for a visit on Saturday they could often not use this possibility due to too early visiting hours
assigned for this. The Chancellor recommended to Viru Prison to review the Saturday’s time
schedule for short-term visits for convicted prisoners (also taking into account the schedules of
public transport arriving in Jõhvi from other towns) as well as the organisation of the visits, and
change the practice so as to allow as many people as possible to realistically have short-term
visits with convicted prisoners.
In their conversations with the Chancellor’s advisers many detained persons in Viru Prison also
pointed out an inconvenient environment for short-term visits. They said it was particularly
inconvenient for children coming for a visit, because it was very difficult for the children to be
in a small room separated by a glass and without any opportunity for establishing physical
contact with their parent or for playing or joint activity. The Chancellor noted that a prison’s
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