Correctional institutions
aspects should be attributed greater significance. Further mandatory training
events on the topic should be offered for those officers who regularly conduct
body searches with disrobement.
On the contrary, the Federal Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Reforms,
Deregulation and Justice does not consider it necessary to provide special
training beyond the “Law enforcement competence” (“Exekutive Kompetenz”)
further training event. The recommendation of the NPM is thus not being
followed.
Upon the recommendation of the NPM (see NPM Report 2018, pp. 134 et seq.),
conducting a body search with disrobement during a restraint with handcuffs
was included in the new version of the teaching aid “Searching persons”.
Regrettably, the problem of how to proceed in cases in which the members of
the task force are all male and the person to be searched is a woman is not
addressed, as was recommended by the NPM.
Body search during
restraint
XX
All body searches shall be conducted in such a way as to respect the sense of pride and
human dignity.
XX
It shall be ensured that no unnecessary or routine naked body searches and inspection
of normally covered orifices shall be conducted, as these are in violation of the law and
are inhumane and humiliating.
XX
Body searches with disrobement shall be conducted in two steps so that the person to be
searched does not have to fully undress.
XX
Body searches with disrobement shall be conducted by specially trained law
enforcement officers of the same gender as the person to be searched only. Special
mandatory further training events should be offered for the officers who regularly have
to conduct such body searches.
XX
Alternative methods (for example, the use of body scanners) shall be developed for the
purpose of replacing body searches including those with disrobement.
2.5.3
Health care
2.5.3.1 Suicide prevention
Suicide is a common cause of death in correctional institutions. Detainees are
a high-risk group of vulnerable persons. Every suicide is a stressful incident
both for the law enforcement officers and the other prisoners. All correctional
institutions are requested to develop suicide prevention concepts and to
evaluate these at regular intervals.
The visit to Korneuburg correctional institution in February 2019 focused on
suicide prevention. The starting point here was the existing prevention concept
which was classified as exemplary in 2017. However, after interviewing
Korneuburg correctional
institution
110
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents