51
The visiting delegation experienced cases when the personnel demonstrated derogatory, disdainful
behavior towards the patients. I pointed out that comments on the personnel’s part constituting illtreatment (referring, e.g., to the patients’ perceived or real racial, religious, ethnic background) were
unacceptable. I made a recommendation to the Director General of the Hungarian Prison Service and
the Chief Medical Director to hold the employees manifesting inappropriate behavior or treatment
responsible.
8.2.2. Sátoraljaújhely Strict and Medium Regime Prison163
The institution performs the state-mandated tasks related to pretrial detention, strict and medium
regime imprisonment of adult males and the operation of a long-term unit. As a special task, the
institution provides the conditions for operating a long-term special unit and a drug prevention unit.
At the time of the visit, there were 421 male detainees, including five foreign nationals, held in the
institution. Another five detainees were kept at other locations. There were no minors or persons living
with disabilities among the detainees. The institution's utilization rate stood at 162%.
There were eight prisoners spending their life sentences without the possibility of conditional release.
Six of them were held at the long-term special unit (hereinafter the “LTSU”).164 Another eight prisoners
were spending similar sentences with the hope of conditional release in the future. Two of them were
held at the LTSU. Another 41 of the prisoners were spending sentences of 20, 19, 18, 16, 15, 14, 12, 11
or 10 years of imprisonment. Twenty-six persons were spending their non-final sentence of
imprisonment. Another 16 were in pretrial detention. Five persons were residents of the drug
prevention unit.
There were view-blockers installed on the windows facing the street, which, obstructing natural lighting
and ventilation, made staying in the cells intolerable in the summer heat. The situation would be a bit
improved after replacing the upper third of the blocker with polycarbonates.
View-blockers on the cell windows of the Sátoraljaújhely Strict and Medium Regime Prison
Every cell was equipped with a bed and a hand basin. With the exception of the single cells, the cells
were furnished with a locker and a small or large table. In the 26 single and two-bed cells, the toilets
were separated from the living space only by a partition. I asked the Minister of Interior to ensure that,
at least in the two-bed cells, the toilets were separated from the detainee’s living space in a way that
would contain noises and odors.
Decisions on placing in and releasing from the LTSU are made by the Reception and Detention
Committee (hereinafter the “RDC”). Placement has to be reviewed in every three months and
Report № AJB-679/2017
Pursuant to Section 105(1) of the Prison Code, „convicts sentenced to life imprisonment or at least fifteen years in prison, whose special treatment and
placement in the interest of preparing them for their return or returning them to the community are justified based on their behavior, readiness to cooperate while in
prison, attitude towards the regime and security of the institution, may be placed in the long-term special unit (LTSU).”
163
164
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