CAT/OP/MKD/1/Add.1 • The duration of a disciplinary sanction – referral to solitary confinement – is set to last 14 days the most; • The doctors no longer provide an opinion on the health condition of the PDLT prior the adoption of a decision on disciplinary sanctioning; • The disciplinary sanction is not imposed to minors; • The appeal of the PDTL defers the enforcement of the decision except in urgent situations where the security of the institution is under threat, and upon assessment of the director of the institution; • A PDTL may be provided with an attorney upon his request, in instances when disciplinary liability has been found due to severe disciplinary violation, that represents an offence which is punishable with a prison sentence or payment of a fee; • If the PDTL is a foreign citizen or a person that does not understand the Macedonian language, upon his request a translator shall be provided to him; and • Other stipulations for improvement of the matter. 68. Regarding the concerns of the SPT on the ignorance of PDTL that there is a procedure for challenging a decision for detention in solitary confinement, in accordance with the Law on Execution of Sanctions, convicted persons have the right to lodge an appeal to the Director of the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions within 3 days upon receipt of the first-instance decision by the Director of the Institution. A novelty in this area is that the appeal of the PDTL shall defer the enforcement of the decision, except in urgent situations where the security of the institution is under threat, and upon assessment of the director of the institution. In addition, the convicted person shall hold the right to lodge an appeal to an independent authority, that is to say, to the Administrative Court regarding the second-instance decision issued by the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions. 69. Regarding the regime of activities offered to convicted persons in penitentiary institutions (including work, education and sports), the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions, provides guidelines and recommendations for improvement in this area through the performance of expert and instructive supervision. Also, in order to obtain a full picture of all penitentiary and correctional facilities, an assessment of the possibilities for organizing sports and other leisure activities in the penitentiary and correctionalcorrectional facilities was prepared according to the National Strategy. The assessment contained findings, conclusions and recommendations for each institution individually and it was sent to all institutions that are expected to offer a wider range of various activities for the convicted persons by complying with the given recommendations. 70. Within the activities of the Project “Promotion of Sustainable Employment III”, which is carried by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the selection of two schools with verified training programs for bakers and locksmiths was carried out through public procurement procedure for the Kumanovo Prison. 71. During 2016 two cycles of training for bakers and locksmiths were delivered for the PDTL in Kumanovo Prison, the first cycle of training was delivered from April–August 2016, and 22 persons acquired certificates for successful completion of artisan training. The second cycle was delivered from September–December 2016 in two PCI – in the Kumanovo Prison and in the PCI Shtip. 28 PDTL acquired certificates for successful completion of artisan training with the second cycle of training in the Kumanovo Prison, as follows: 11 bakers; 11 argon-welders and 6 have completed their previous training for argon-welders. 22 PDTL from PCI Shtip acquired certificates for completion of artisan training, as follows: 11 cooks, 6 argon-welders, 5 locksmiths. Total of 50 PDTL from Kumanovo Prison and 22 PDTL from PCI Shtip acquired certificates for their training. The project is expected to continue in Kumanovo prison and in PCI Shtip in the future. 72. A training for sewing vocation for female PDTL that were serving prison sentences in the Women’s Unit of PCI Idrizovo was delivered at the end of December 2017 within the project “Creating Work Opportunities for All II” implemented by the Directorate for 10