ANNUAL REPORT 2019-OMBUDSMANNATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM
Furthermore, given that both evidence-based medicines (methadone and
buprenorphine) are unavailable, neither in the prison health clinic nor in the
Prilep General Hospital, psychiatrists are forced to prescribe medicines that
are not the most adequate choice for the treatment of opiate addiction. On the
other hand, the unavailability of buprenorphine contributes to the formation
of a “black market” in the prison. Namely, the NPM team was informed that some
convicts insist on receiving a recommendation from the psychiatrist for treatment with
“buprenorphine” in order to get the opportunity to purchase it independently from the
pharmacy through their families, so as to resell it later in prison. The NPM team received
information that the “buprenorphine” tablets can be purchased illegally in prison and a 2
mg tablet costs 200.00 denars.
From the conversations with the officials, as well as with the convicts, the
NPM team was informed that in the institution it happened that convicts inject
drugs/psychoactive substance if they find a needle, and often instead of using
condoms they improvise protection with plastic bags. The fact that there is no
female employee in the Security Department, so it is not possible to conduct
searches of women who come to visits to the prison, allows the entering of
psychoactive substances and/or drugs.
3.2.4. Use of coercive means
Prison police officers have been trained in the use of coercive means, and twice a
year they attend a shouting training with guns and automatic rifles. In the circle of the
institution, when they are among the convicts, the officials do not walk with personal
weapons, but only use radio connections.
In the records kept for the used means of coercion, in 2018 and 2019 (until the day
of the visit), two cases of use of coercive means were registered.
Regarding the used means of coercion, in accordance with the “Standard Operating
Procedures”, a “Report on the use of coercive means” is prepared, which states by whom
and to which person coercive means were used, at what time they were used and the
reasons for their use, what type of coercive means were used, data from the medical examination, data on other employees who were present during the event, medical finding,
as well as an opinion by the prison police chief and the director of the institution for the
justification of the use of means of coercion. In addition to the case, there are statements
from the participants and witnesses to the event. Both cases of the use of coercive means
in 2019 are assessed as justified. For each use of means of coercion, the director of the
institution with special notification, in addition to the entire documentation, notifies the
Directorate for Execution of Sanctions.
Regarding the use of means of coercion, that is, means of tying during the escorts, it
was emphasized that an individual assessment is made in each particular case.
However, in addition to the officially registered cases of use of coercive
means, allegations were made of the use of force, that is, physical harassment
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