-51 team to cover various required skills. At least one person with a legal, and one with a medical background should be represented. Furthermore, it is beneficial if a professional with a psycho-social background is part of the team as well as persons with first-hand experience, such as former prison staff or prisoners.94 Gender balance and diversity between monitors is of advantage, particularly where a prisoner or staff member might feel more comfortable talking to a monitor of the same gender. 4.3. Conducting a visit 4.3.1. Observation of prison conditions and culture The design of a prison contributes to determining whether its environment is humane, rehabilitative and respectful of the physical and moral integrity of a person. Poor prison conditions have immediate and longterm consequences for the safety and wellbeing of prisoners and are also associated with reduced staff wellbeing. Thus, NPMs should put a particular focus on the visible/physical prison environment but also on the prevailing culture and how people interact with each other. A walk through the prison gives NPMs the possibility to inform prisoners and staff that a visit is taking place. Monitors may focus on areas that are not under constant surveillance, such as cells and showers. They may inquire about how safety and security is ensured or can be heightened and assess whether there are areas that are ‘blind spots’, which would allow incidents of violence without anyone noticing. This includes, for example, cases in which high security prisoners or persons in a situation of vulnerability, especially those for protective and disciplinary reasons, are detained separately from the rest of the prison population. These areas should be visited at an early stage of the visit, to ensure that people are not moved. From the moment they enter through the prison gates, monitors should start observing the atmosphere and take note of what they feel, hear, smell and see. This includes the noise environment when entering a cell block, cleanliness, signs of vandalism and any first impressions upon entering shower rooms, cells, leisure rooms or library. Leaflets, printed rules, information material and the availability of legal texts displayed or given to 94. PRI and APT, Institutional Culture, 19. Monitoring Prison Violence