38 Towards the Effective Protection of LGBTI Persons Deprived of Liberty nowledged by the authorities, gay, bisexual or trans detainees may be de facto segregated in separated cells). In such cases, monitoring bodies may seek to conduct targeted visits to these units, whilst remaining cognizant of the fact that their existence within a prison does not preclude the possibility that other LGBTI detainees are held in other parts of the establishment. In other contexts, correctional establishments have separate wings for so-called “vulnerable detainees”, which might hold LGBTI detainees alongside other categories of detainees, such as sex offenders, former law enforcement officials, detainees with a disability, or others being separated for alleged protective purposes. In such case, monitoring bodies looking into discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity may consider targeting these units during their visits. In all cases, due consideration should be given to ensuring that no harm is done to detainees, in particular by preventing any forms of retaliation or reprisals as a consequence of the visit. If a monitoring body lacks expertise on the issue, its members should reach out to external experts among civil society organisations, in particular those representing LGBTI persons and working on LGBTI matters, with a view to enhancing its understanding of and capacity for addressing the unique challenges faced by LGBTI persons deprived of liberty. This will help ensure that biases and misconceptions are avoided from the early moments of strategic planning and visit programming. Exchanges with LGBTI organisations are central to the consolidation of monitoring bodies’ understanding of the issues and to their ability to devise adequate strategies, whilst also helping to reinforce NGOs’ interest and knowledge in matters relating to the deprivation of liberty, thus proving to be mutually beneficial. 2. Mapping and data gathering Mapping out existing legislation, policies, and case law impacting LGBTI persons in general — ranging from criminalisation of samesex conducts to legal gender recognition and access to healthcare for trans persons — is an important precondition to initiating any work on the issue. More specifically, monitoring bodies should be