A/HRC/34/54/Add.1 67. The indiscriminate detention of different types of inmates in the same centres and at times even in the same block or cell is deeply concerning to the Special Rapporteur. He calls upon the Government of Mauritania to address the issue urgently. 5. Juveniles in conflict with the law 68. A notable exception to the above-mentioned problem is the centre for children aged 13-18 years (although younger ones are sometimes admitted) in Nouakchott, the sole facility for the detention and rehabilitation of juveniles in conflict with the law, which is run jointly by the State and Terre des Hommes — Italy. 69. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur observed decent living conditions and, in general, good treatment of juveniles. While juveniles were given opportunities for schooling, vocational training and recreational activities, the Special Rapporteur also received credible reports of corporal punishment being meted out by some members of the staff. He was also told that children were placed in isolation, alone or in small groups, for extended periods of time (between one and two months) in separate small cells. The children subjected to such punishment were not allowed to carry out the usual activities and could leave their cells only for short periods, for example for meals or bathroom breaks. Such treatment, even if imposed for disciplinary measures, amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and the Special Rapporteur stresses that the solitary confinement of juveniles, defined as 22-24 hours of isolation per day, is considered torture. 70. The Special Rapporteur believes that the centre could contribute significantly to the rehabilitation of juveniles but is at present sadly underutilized. According to the law, alternatives to detention, including stays at the centre, need to be prioritized by judges. In reality, however, judges tend to impose traditional detention sanctions on children in conflict with the law instead of having them housed at the centre, receive a non-custodial penalty or be detained in an adult detention centre. 71. Nevertheless, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the plans to establish a second rehabilitation centre for juveniles in Nouadhibou in the near future. 6. Psychiatric institution 72. Mauritania has only one psychiatric wing, in the neuropsychiatric hospital in Nouakchott, with a capacity of 21 beds. It is an open institution and patients are usually housed with their families, who are fully integrated into the treatment of the patients. Patients are not placed in isolation, shackled or otherwise physically restrained, and no electric shock therapy is used. The hospital’s therapeutic approach suffers from the insufficient provision of medication and psychoactive drugs by the State. Nevertheless, conditions are generally very good and the Special Rapporteur commends the authorities responsible for this exemplary institution. C. Safeguards and prevention 73. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the latest legislative developments in the fight against torture and ill-treatment, in particular the 2015 laws for the prevention of torture and the establishment of the national preventive mechanism. Today, legal safeguards are in place but the judicial authorities must understand that a problem exists and step up their efforts to use and implement those safeguards. 74. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned about the almost total absence of investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment and calls on the Government to implement existing laws and safeguards aimed at protecting all suspects and detainees in Mauritania from torture and ill-treatment. 13