ANNUAL REPORT 2019-OMBUDSMANNATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM to solitary confinement in the period from 14 to 19.05.2019. The referral of a child for more than 30 days to solitary confinement for a short period of time may in no case be justified. This action by the prison authorities is inadmissible and contrary to all the standards contained in the international documents on children’s rights and the recommendations of international bodies which provide for an absolute ban on the expression of solitary confinement as a measure against children, primarily due to the proven negative effects of this measure on their mental and physical health, which are better analysed in scientific and professional research. The NPM team also expresses particular concern over the fact that children from juvenile prisons are being disciplined to serve in solitary confinement in rooms that are in extremely poor material condition, far below all minimum standards for accommodation. Namely, from the conversations with the children, allegations were made that they were directed to serve the disciplinary punishment solitary confinement in the so-called old detention premises, for which the NPM team received information from the officials that those premises have not been used for many years. However, despite the information from the officials that some of the detention premises are not used at all, during the inspection thereof, the NPM team concluded that some of the children were really referred to serve the disciplinary measure solitary confinement in those premises. In this regard, the NPM team concluded that one of the children had signed the inner door of the room for which the officials stated that it was not used, and the date under his signature corresponded to the dates for the period recorded in the official records that he was referred to serving a disciplinary penalty - solitary confinement. Afterwards, an additional conversation was held with the child, who confirmed that he was referred to serve the disciplinary punishment - solitary confinement in that room, describing it in detail. The NPM team concludes that the referral and accommodation of the children in those premises can be associated with the term inhuman and degrading treatment, due to which it recommended immediate sealing of the so-called old detention premises and a ban on their use. 3.5.7. Resocialization The Resocialization Department is composed of two female officials, psychologists by profession and one social worker (who performs only administrative work when receiving or discharging a child/person after the measure is completed). In the treatment activities, the persons sentenced to a final sentence of juvenile imprisonment, as well as the persons referred to the educational-correctional facility, are divided into two groups, for which the two professionals - educators from the institution 148