Report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in Poland in 2014 Part II. 1. Methodology In all the establishments visited, the National Preventive Mechanism operates based on the same methodology. The first stage is to establish the composition of the visiting group. In accordance with the OPCAT, experts of national preventive mechanisms should have the required capabilities and expertise. The visiting team usually consists of several persons, with one person performing the role of the group coordinator. Two persons, including the team coordinator responsible for drawing up the report from the visit, perform the inspection of the premises and buildings of the establishment, while others conduct individual conversations with prisoners. In order for groups to be interdisciplinary, the visits are also performed by experts in general medicine, psychiatry, psychology and geriatrics. They draw up an expert opinion which is incorporated in the visit report. The duration of a visit depends on both the size of the visited establishment and problems encountered there. It usually lasts one to three days. Visits of the National Preventive Mechanism comprise the following stages: •  conversation with the management; •  inspection of all rooms; •  individual and group conversations with detainees; •  conversations with personnel; •  analysis of documents; •  formulation of post-visit recommendations during the conversation summing up the visit, and receiving explanations from the management. During the visits, the representatives of the National Preventive Mechanism use the following measuring and recording devices: a  CEM DT-8820 multimeter, a Makita LD060P laser distance meter and a camera. If an inmate reports an unlawful event, he/she has the opportunity to lodge an official complaint which is referred to a  competent complaint department of the OHRD. Yet, if the person does not consent to addressing the issue officially, visitors consider the information as a report to be investigated in a way that prevents identifying the source. If the unlawful event is confirmed, the members of the 16