53 circumstances” following the opening of a special unit for gay detainees in September 2015. The unit was equipped to host up to 17 detainees coming from various prisons of the region. In its report, the NPM was critical of the unit for various reasons. First, and while recognising that the authorities had consulted with NGOs working on LGBTI issues ahead of opening the unit, the NPM expressed concern about the risk of further isolation and stigmatisation of gay detainees, who were in danger of being held in a “world apart”. The NPM was also very critical of the fact that one detainee had remained in a situation of de facto solitary confinement for two and a half months. In its report, the NPM recommended the undertaking of a review of the policy that led to the establishment of such a unit, with the aim of providing equal treatment and conditions for all detainees, and suggested the establishment of a working group to identify ways forward. As a result, the Ministry of Justice decided to close the unit and to allocate gay detainees to other prisons in the region. The report helped bring visibility to the issue, and was echoed in NGO statements and the media. In 2010, the French NPM (Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté) published an opinion on the care and management of trans prisoners43. In what can be considered a short thematic report, the NPM addressed the issue on the basis of various testimonies gathered from detainees through letters and of on-site visits. The opinion includes the following recommendations regarding the care of trans detainees: enable them to benefit from access to a clearly identifiable specialist healthcare team throughout the care pathway; ensure the provision of adequate information and support; ensure respect for their physical integrity without resorting to solitary confinement; and guarantee their rights to intimacy and privacy. The opinion has gained attention from the media and set the terms for relevant discussion on this issue. In 2016, the Local Preventive Mechanism (LPM) of Rio de Janeiro (part of the National System to Prevent and Combat Torture in Brazil) issued a thematic report44 on “Women and girls deprived of liberty in Rio de Janeiro,” which includes a separate chapter on “transsexual and travesti” detainees. The report was primarily based on a visit to the penal es- Opinion of 30th June 2010 concerning the care and management of transsexual prisoners, Opinions and Recommendations of the French ‘Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté’, 2008 2014, CGLPL and APT, 2014, pp. 47-52. 44 Mecanismo Estadual de Prevenção e Combate à Tortura do Rio de Janeiro, Mulheres, Meninas e Privação de Liberdade no Rio de Janeiro, ALERJ, Rio de Janeiro 2016. 43 Chapter II A Monitoring Guide