MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NGOS 65 persons deprived of liberty and with the staff. Far from being a waste of time, this socialising will generally be welcomed, and in time will help to establish constructive working relations. 6. TALKS WITH THE STAFF IN CHARGE OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY The staff can be divided into two categories: those responsible for surveillance and those in charge of the services—kitchen, medical, social, educational, etc. Talks with the latter are held as part of the examination of the conditions of detention. Talks with the surveillance personnel are difficult to carry out for various reasons stemming from the organisation and nature of their work—for instance, it is impossible to meet with many staff on duty at the same time—as well as questions of hierarchy and a rather developed esprit de corps in this professional environment. The surveillance personnel are an important element in the daily life of the persons deprived of their liberty, and it is thus a good idea to try and organise talks with them in which the NGO explains the reasons for its work, answers their questions, and listens to their viewpoints. 7. ENDING THE VISIT It is important to formally end the visit with a talk with the head of the place. According to the strategy adopted and the findings, this final talk can have different objectives: ■ The information is analysed during the visit and a summary is transmitted immediately to the person in charge of the place during a talk at the end of the visit;