to eradicate ill-treatment. Prosecutors and judges also need to act on claims of ill-treatment by the police. At the Reception Centre for Foreigners of Gazi Baba in Skopje, numerous consistent allegations of ill-treatment of detainees by custodial staff were received, and there were frequent instances of inter-detainee violence. The Reception Centre was seriously overcrowded and the conditions in which the men, women and children (including 13 unaccompanied minors) were held could be described as amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment. In their response, the national authorities provide, inter alia, information on the arrangements put in place in relation to the timely provision of access to a lawyer to persons in police detention. As regards the Reception Centre for Foreigners, they recognise that it was not appropriate for detention purposes and refer to their efforts to find a more suitable location for holding foreign nationals. They also state that women and children are now held in an open centre. 46. As regards the prison system, the CPT remains deeply concerned. At Idrizovo Prison (which holds two-thirds of the country’s prison population), a large number of allegations of deliberate ill-treatment of inmates by custodial staff were received, and inter-prisoner violence was a serious problem in certain units. As regards staffing issues, the Committee emphasises that insufficient staffing levels and the lack of training and support provided to staff are intrinsically linked to problems highlighted in the report such as ill-treatment, inter-prisoner violence and a lack of activities. This was notably evident at Idrizovo Prison. Moreover, a professional career path for managers within the prison system still does not exist. The conditions of detention in certain wings of Idrizovo and Skopje Remand Prisons could be described as amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment (poor state of repair and hygiene, infestations of vermin and overcrowding). Further, remand prisoners are still offered no activities and spend 22 hours or more per day confined to their cells for months on end. The provision of health care was deficient in all the prisons visited and particularly poor at Idrizovo Prison. The report also highlights the case of a vulnerable mentally ill prisoner at Skopje Remand Prison who had been hand- and ankle-cuffed to a bed for prolonged periods and was not receiving the care he required. In their response, the national authorities refer to the adoption of a strategic document on penitentiary reform by the government and to their continued efforts to improve the prison estate and train and recruit staff. 47. The situation of juveniles held at “Tetovo” Educational Correctional Institution (located in the town of Veles) was also totally unacceptable. Many allegations of physical ill-treatment of juveniles by staff were received and, moreover, no action was taken when episodes indicative of ill-treatment and inter-prisoner violence (including a case of rape) were brought to the attention of the management. Further, there was no programme of structured activities and material conditions had deteriorated since the CPT’s 2011 visit. Recommendations are made to address these deficiencies as well as to improve the staffing situation, reform the disciplinary sanction of solitary confinement and increase juveniles’ contact with the outside world. In sum, the CPT highlights the authorities’ neglect of the welfare of juveniles held in this establishment and the urgent need to relocate the Institution. Publication highlights ► Page 25