In the Parliamentary Report of 2015, as well as the penitentiary establishments monitoring reports of 2016, the Public Defender of Georgia recommended numerous times to the Minister of Corrections of Georgia to limit statutorily the placement of inmates in de-escalation rooms to a maximum term of 24 hours.63 As the result of the amendments made on 9 August 2016 to the statutes of penitentiary establishments nos. 3, 6, and 8, the maximum term of placement for prisoners in de-escalation rooms was limited to 72 hours, which is positively assessed by the Public Defender. However, it is noteworthy that a statute authorises the administration of a penitentiary establishment to place an inmate in a de-escalation room for unlimited time, which can again result in long-term isolation of prisoners. In accordance with all the above-mentioned statutes, a de-escalation room should be equipped with a safe mattress, surveillance camera, remotely controlled and damage-resistant open toilet, tap, light and adequate ventilation. The respect for an inmates’ private life in de-escalation rooms was of concern in 2016 and remains so in 2016. Surveillance systems in de-escalation rooms in establishments nos. 3, 6, and 8 are installed in such a way that the toilet is in the field of view of cameras, which is impermissible as it can amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. It was revealed during the visits to establishments nos. 3, 6, and 8 in the reporting period that sanitation and hygiene conditions were absent in the escalation rooms: there was no mattress on the floor, windows would not open and therefore there was no natural ventilation. It is noteworthy that the environment and conditions in the de-escalation rooms are not safe and do not minimise the risk of self-harm. According to the information provided by the Ministry of Corrections, cushioning material is not available in Georgia for lining the walls in de-escalation rooms. The Ministry searched for companies manufacturing the material in various countries and presently is in negotiations to make a purchase. The Public Defender of Georgia positively assesses the efforts made by the Ministry of Corrections for adequate equipment of the de-escalation rooms and expresses his hope that the works will be soon completed. It should also be pointed out that the items of personal hygiene and washing detergents are given to inmates of de-escalation rooms in limited quantities. Furthermore, the inmates placed in de-escalation rooms have to keep their clothes with prison personnel and this way they have limited access to their own clothing. According to prisoners, apart from their hard daily conditions, when in de-escalation rooms, they are not given access to shops, telephone calls and correspondence, and visits are not allowed either. It should also be noted that according to the information received by the Special Preventive Group in penitentiary establishment no. 3, verified in relevant documentation, despite serious health condition of one of the inmates, he was not trans63 See the Annual Report of the Public Defender of 2015, p. 44, available at: http://www.ombudsman.ge/ uploads/other/3/3891.pdf [Last visited on 02.11.2017]. NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2016 41