It should be noted that the prisoners of the closed institutions where they spend 23 hours in the cells and their 1-hour walk happens to take place in the exercise yards similar to cells. This is likely to seriously affect their health. Accordingly, it is necessary to set up appropriate conditions for the presence of fresh air and exercise for prisoners and at the same time increase the length of daily stay in the fresh air. In the exercise yards of closed institutions, prisoners do not have the proper opportunities of physical activity, because there is no exercise equipment. Due to inappropriate setting of the exercise yards, in some cases, prisoners have refused to use the right of walk into the fresh air. Public Defender has repeatedly noted in its reports that prison conditions shall ensure the re-socialization and reintegration of prisoners. Convicts serving prison terms shall obtain or increase the desired knowledge and skills, be allowed to participate in sports, artistic, intellectual and other events. All of this is necessary, in order to ensure that convict returns to society after serving the sentence as a full-fledged person. According to Nelson Mandela Rules, the purposes of a sentence of imprisonment or similar measures depriving of a person’s liberty are primarily to protect society against crime and to reduce recidivism. Those purposes can be achieved only if the period of imprisonment is used to ensure, so far as possible, the reintegration of such persons into society upon release so that they can lead a law-abiding and self-supporting life.103 To this end, prison administrations and other competent authorities should offer education, vocational training and work, as well as other forms of assistance that are appropriate and available, including those of a remedial, moral, spiritual, social and health- and sports-based nature. All such programs, activities and services should be delivered in line with the individual treatment needs of prisoners.104 Re-socialization process requires a comprehensive approach, which includes a wellthought-out action plan, which encompasses, along with the general measures, adoption of individual approach as well. The basic tools re-socialization that are used taking into consideration the sentence, the crime committed, the offender’s personality, behavior and psychological state of mind, can be determined as: prescribed punishment, rehabilitation programs, employment of convicts, general and professional education, and public relations. In order to maintain physical and mental health of all the prisoners, they should be provided with the opportunity to rest and cultural activities.105 All of the penitentiary establishments shall seek to ensure that prisoners are provided with educational programs, which are as comprehensive as possible and meet their individual needs, taking into 103 Rule 4.1. 104 See ibid Rule 4.2. 105 Nelson Mandela Rules, Rule 105. NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2015 73

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