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medical check-ups even when not requested by a medical worker, which only violates the
privacy of convicts and the right to secrecy of data on their health condition.
Persons with mental impairment serving their prison sentence are still placed within the
regular prison regime which is inadequate for their treatment and their psycho-social
treatment.
The NPM standpoint is that persons with severe mental disabilities should be displaced in
adequate health-care institution, or placed in the Special Prison Hospital, i.e. the stationed
health-care unit within the institution whit adequate conditions for their treatment.
Measures of compulsory psychiatric treatment and care are rarely converted in the extramural
mandatory psychiatric treatment, primarily because of the fact that family is not in a position to
care about the patient. Around 25% of patients who were imposed compulsory psychiatric
treatment and confinement in the Specialized Prison Hospital may be discharged, but they
don’t have where to go, for they do not enjoy the support of the community. The worrisome
fact is that the number of psychiatric patients is solely reduced by their death. Despite the
adoption of the Law on the Protection of Persons with Mental Disabilities (“Official Gazette of
the RS”, no. 45/13) and the Rulebook on Conditions for the Application of Physical Restraints
and Isolations of Persons with Mental Disabilities Treated in Psychiatric Institutions (“Official
Gazette of the RS”, no. 94/13) which provisions are bounding for the work of Hospital , in the
course of the visit it was determined that the staff working in the Hospital did not act in
compliance with the mentioned regulations. Namely, it happened that patients were
continuously restrained for several days.
Programs designed to provide social support and aid to the convicts after being released from
prison, do not still have the adequate level of quality, and the efficient cooperation between
correctional services of the institution and the offices for the enforcement of alternative
sanctions has not yet been established, and therefore all convicts after being released from the
prison are left to themselves.
Alternative sanctions in the Republic of Serbia do not function in the planned capacity and
scope and are totally dependent upon the prison system. This relates to both technical support,
and to the support by staff. The offices for alternative sanctions are opened in every town, as a
part of the Higher Courts, but so far only 24 commissioners were employed. However, five
offices still do not have their commissioner (in Sombor, Zrenjanin, Šabac, Čačak and Vranje).
Also, work of a commissioner is now solely reduced to the enforcement of alternative
sanctions, i.e., commissioners are least engaged in treatment of convicted persons, their
resocialization or post-penal reception.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATION
FOR REMEDYING THE IDENTIFIED SHORTCOMING
The Administration for the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions should continue with its
activities related to the harmonization of accommodation conditions within institutions
for the enforcement of criminal sanction with the applicable standards.
Institution for the enforcement of criminal sanctions should enable to all persons serving
their prison sentences to spend their available time outside the sleeping room during a
day, in the common rooms with the other convicts.
Institutions for the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions should continue to improve
conditions for engagement of persons serving their prison sentences in the working
activities.
Institutions for the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions should ensure sufficient number
of medical workers, particularly doctors, necessary quantity of drugs and therapies and to
improve the health-care provision.
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