CAT/C/BEL/CO/3 complain to an independent body, has not yet entered into force. The Committee further notes the explanations given by the State party as to how the Complaints Commission functions in closed centres, but remains concerned that foreigners often have difficulties in filing complaints and that no decision on the merits is adopted when the complainant has been expelled (arts. 12, 13 and 16). The Committee invites the State party to take measures to implement the provisions of the Principles Act aimed at establishing an effective, independent complaints mechanism specifically devoted to monitoring and processing complaints in detention centres. The State party should take the necessary measures to ensure that all allegations of misconduct by detention centre and prison staff are duly examined and thoroughly and impartially investigated. Conditions of detention 15. The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to reduce prison overcrowding, such as the adoption of a master plan that provides for the renovation and expansion of existing prisons and the establishment of new prison facilities. However, the Committee is concerned that some detention centres have an overcrowding rate of over 50 per cent, which breeds violence between prisoners and leads to the frequent use of force by custodial staff. The Committee is also concerned about the poor sanitary conditions, inadequate access to health care, the lack of medical personnel in several places of detention and the failure to separate convicted prisoners from remand prisoners and adults from minors. It regrets that poor working conditions have led prison staff to go on strike, which has had a harmful impact on conditions of detention (arts. 11, 12, 13 and 16). The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Step up its efforts to alleviate overcrowding in prisons and other places of detention by, in particular, making use of non-custodial measures as provided for in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules) and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules); (b) Continue to improve the infrastructure of prisons and other places of detention and ensure that conditions of detention in the State party do not breed violence among prisoners; (c) Separate the different categories of prisoners, ensuring that remand prisoners are separated from convicts and that minors are separated from adults; (d) Take the necessary measures to improve working conditions for prison staff and to ensure a level of service in prisons that will ensure that prisoners’ fundamental rights are respected, even in the event of a strike. Full body searches 16. The Committee is concerned about the amendments made to the Principles Act by the Act of 1 July 2013, which authorizes routine full body searches when a detainee has been in contact with the outside world. Although the Constitutional Court has ruled that the application of these measures should be suspended, the Committee is still concerned that they have not yet been repealed and could be implemented in the future (art. 11). The Committee urges the State party to repeal the provisions of the Act of 1 July 2013 which authorize systematic body searches. The State party should ensure that body searches are conducted only in exceptional cases and by the least intrusive means possible, with full respect for the dignity of the person. The State party should take steps to adopt precise and strict instructions to restrict the use of body searches. GE.14-40046 5