Report of the HRD on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in Poland in 2011 The National Preventive Mechanism recommended to: • Include a course in international human rights instruments and standards in the staff training plans; • Ensure appropriate staffing, according to the needs. i) Employment and education Detainees performed work mainly for the establishment where they were held (work in laundries, kitchens, workshops, warehouses, as well as cleaning works). Each establishment employs against remuneration ca. 40 persons monthly, which represents a low percentage of those detained in visited establishments. Acquiring job offers from external entities is very difficult at the moment. In the view of administration of visited establishments, such situation results mainly from the insufficient professional qualifications of prisoners and from a statutory minimum wage requirement. Such situation is particularly afflictive for prisoners with maintenance duties, whose number is on the rise. The professional qualifications of prisoners are being improved by vocational courses (teaching the profession of a painter, paperhanger, bricklayer, plasterer, fast-food cook, green areas gardener, locksmith or electrician). Among the visited establishments, only Nowy Wiśnicz and Koronowo Prisons had schools. In the remaining establishments, efforts were made to facilitate access to schools at other prisons and pre-trial detention centres, as well as to schools in educational establishments outside penitentiary institutions. The interviewed prisoners voiced no complaints concerning their employment conditions. j) Cultural, educational and sports activities The organisation of cultural, educational and sports activities in penitentiary establishments is crucial. According to Rules 25.1 and 25.2 of the European Prison Rules61, the regime provided for all prisoners shall offer a balanced programme of activities. This regime shall allow all prisoners to spend as many hours a day outside their cells as are necessary for an adequate level of human and social interaction. Moreover, according to CPT’s position, a satisfactory programme of activities (work, education, sport, etc.) is of crucial importance for the well-being of prisoners. This holds true for all establishments, whether for sentenced prisoners or those awaiting trial62. In all penitentiary establishments visited in 2011, prisoners had access to libraries; moreover, each establishment had a radio unit broadcasting the programmes of the Polish Radio as well as its own programmes on various topics, including competitions, talks on various topics and book reviews. All establishments organised cultural and educational  Recommendation Rec(2006)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the European Prison Rules.  See: §47 of the 2nd General Report [CPT/Inf (92) 3]. 61 62 42