76 13. Media and dissemination In addition to conducting visits, the NPM’s tasks also include the publication of his opinion, conclusions, and any other relevant information that may contribute to raising social awareness.223 The NPM has English and Hungarian language homepages on the website of the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights. 224 The reports on the NPM’s visits and their English summaries are published on these pages. In addition to general information on the NPM, visitors may find info materials on turning to the NPM, as well as on various events, including the NPM’s visits and the meetings of the CCB. 13.1. Media In 2017, my colleagues registered 94 appearances in the media in connection with my reports published within my activities performed as NPM. Media coverage of the NPM’s activities in 2017 Place of detention Independent appearance in the media Sátoraljaújhely Strict and Medium Regime Prison 65 Forensic Psychiatric and Mental Institution 10 Bóly-Görcsöny Joint Social Institution of Baranya County 3 Szombathely National Prison 0 Platán Integrated Social Care Institution of Bács-Kiskun County 0 14th 0 District Police Department of the MPHQoB Debrecen Reformatory of the MoHC and its Nagykanizsa Unit 4 Cseppkő (Dripstone) Children’s Home 8 Juvenile Penitentiary Institution, Tököl 4 TOTAL 94 My report on the Sátoraljaújhely Strict and Medium Regime Prison received the largest media coverage in 2017. The press reports pointed out that, because of the extremely low wages, it was not worth working for the detainees in the penitentiary institutions. This situation resulted in tension among the detainees and their refusal to work, which, in many cases, prompted the guards to apply safety isolation measures. According to the government, employing detainees has specific extra costs; therefore, their work does not cover these expenditures. The press also reported that staff members had to work significant overtime. One of the media reports called attention to over-crowdedness. The press coverage of my report on the visit to the FPMI pointed out the practice of stripping the detainees naked during cell inspections, the beatings in the cameras’ blind spots, the ban on receiving packages directly from the visitors, the shortage of personnel, and the fact that, at the time of the visit, there were only three toilets for the 50 patients in the institution. The press covered my report on the Bóly-Görcsöny Integrated Social Institution as well. The reports pointed out that my colleagues found extremely outdated conditions, the statutory minimum living space of six square meters was not ensured in many of the large, as well as the small rooms. There is a shortage of properly qualified professionals. The articles explained that as soon as the residents reached legal age, the institution automatically requested the Guardianship Authority to launch guardianship proceedings and that patients would be rarely released from the institution. 223 224 See Clause 9(b) of Analytical assessment tool for national preventive mechanisms CAT/OP/1/Rev. 1 http://www.ajbh.hu/opcat

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents