MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE 121 “To guarantee the effective protection of detained persons, provisions should be made for detainees to be held in places officially recognized as places of detention and for their names and places of detention, as well as for the names of persons responsible for their detention, to be kept in registers readily available and accessible to those concerned, including relatives and friends.” GC 20, para 11. States should “Ensure that comprehensive written records of those deprived of their liberty are kept at each place of detention, detailing, inter alia, the date, time, place and reason for the detention.” RIG, provision 30 See also IDRCPDL, art. 18. Comments The official registration of is an essential protection measure. It is also an important element in guaranteeing transparency of the authorities and protection of those detained. Registers of particular interest to visiting teams will include those that record the movement of prisoners into and out of the places of detention; use of force; and disciplinary measures. Records must be kept of: ■ the identity of the person detained; ■ the legal reasons for deprivation of liberty; ■ the time of arrest; ■ the time when the arrested person arrived at the place of detention; ■ the time when taken out (for example in the framework of investigation or court hearing) and returned to the place of detention; ■ the prisoner’s physical state on departure and arrival; 2