20 years of combating torture: CPT General Report 2008-2009 Reports on the ad hoc visits to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” in October 2007 and July 2008 and responses of the national authorities (the state of the prison system) 66. In both the 2007 and 2008 visits, the CPT focused its attention on Idrizovo and Skopje Remand Prisons, which together hold roughly 70% of the country’s prison population. At Idrizovo Prison, credible allegations were received of ill-treatment of prisoners by staff, although a subsequent investigation by the authorities found no unlawful use of truncheons. During the 2008 visit it was found that squalid material conditions continued to prevail in the majority of the establishment’s living quarters, and the situation was compounded by the absence of any meaningful activities and the fact that prisoners in the closed sections were confined to their wings for most of the day. In response to the CPT’s call for urgent measures to be taken to render Idrizovo Prison safe and hygienic, the authorities refer to action taken to improve the existing living conditions, including renovation of buildings and the supply of new mattresses and blankets. At Skopje Remand Prison, the CPT’s delegation found that inmates could still be restrained for prolonged periods, attached to their beds by ankle and hand cuffs, in the presence of other inmates, with no supervision and an inadequate recording system. As for the living conditions, they had deteriorated as compared to earlier visits, with increased overcrowding combined with the dilapidated state of the cells and the absence of any activities. Up to seven prisoners were being held in four-bed cells measuring a mere 11 m², with three inmates having to sleep on mattresses on the floor, in extremely humid conditions. In their response, the authorities state that a new remand wing at Skopje Prison is being constructed to relieve the overcrowding and that all prisoners are now offered two hours of outdoor exercise every day. 67. The CPT has recommended that urgent action be taken to find suitable premises for the Educational-Correctional Institution, which has been temporarily located in the adult open section of Skopje Prison since late 2001. It has also called on the authorities to improve the treatment and care of juveniles held in this Institution. 68. More generally, the CPT’s reports on the 2007 and 2008 visits highlight once again poor management and supervision in prisons, inadequate staffing levels and a lack of appropriate training for staff. The Committee has also reiterated the need for a thorough review of the prison health care services, including the development of a policy concerning somatic and psychiatric care. In their response, the authorities refer to an increase in the staffing complement in prisons, notably prison officers and medical personnel, as well as to measures to improve security inside prisons. In reaction to criticism of inadequate medical screening upon admission to prison, they affirm that an examination of all inmates takes place within 24 hours of their arrival. 32