Places visited by the National Preventive Mechanism in 2011 During the visits, the National Preventive Mechanism uses measuring and recording devices, namely the CEM DT-8820 multimeter and Makita LD060P laser distance meter, and a photo camera. The post-visit report includes information about the results of the visit. It describes living conditions and the situation in terms of observance of the rights, referring to individual issues, such as food, health care, treatment, cultural and educational activity, correspondence and visits, religious services, etc. It also presents the information stemming from the analysis of documents. In the conclusion of the report, recommendations of the National Preventive Mechanism are formulated. The report includes also proposed solutions to some problems. Reports drawn up after the visits are sent to the head of the visited facility, its superior authorities, the judge supervising the facility, to Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and to the Coalition “Agreement for the Implementation of the OPCAT”. Article 22 of OPCAT imposes an obligation on the authorities to examine the recommendations of the national preventive mechanism and enter into a dialogue with it on possible implementation measures. Due to an insufficient number of employees performing the tasks of the National Preventive Mechanism, the implementation of recommendations is verified mainly by means of correspondence26. The time between the provision of recommendations and getting a reply is monitored. If the Office of the Human Rights Defender does not receive a response from the addressees of recommendations within a month, a reminder is sent, informing of the need to respond to the recommendations. Often an exchange of arguments proves necessary, as well as a repeated explanation of the rationale behind the recommendations. 2. Places visited by the National Preventive Mechanism in 2011 In 2011, the Human Rights Defender, acting as the National Preventive Mechanism27, carried out 87 preventive visits and 2 visits to verify the implementation of recommendations issued earlier by the Mechanism. The largest number of visits were carried out to Police detention rooms (27 units). The visits were also conducted in prisons (12), youth care centres (12), Police emergency centres for children (10), youth sociotherapy centres (7), sobering stations (5), detention centres of Military Police (4), pre-trial detention centres (4), juvenile detention centres (2), juvenile shelters (2), juvenile detention centres and juvenile shelters operating together (2), and nursing homes (2). 26 27  Between 2008 and 2011, the National Preventive Mechanism performed 7 revisits to places of detention in order to verify the implementation of recommendations issued by the NPM.  Hereinafter referred to as “NPM” or “Mechanism.” 25