II. PREVENTION OF ILL-TREATMENT IN PLACES OF DETENTION
1. Police detention facilities
In 2014, the Chancellor carried out regular inspection visits to cellblocks of police detention
centres of public order bureaus of prefectures of the Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB).
Similarly to the previous years, the Chancellor also focused on rooms used for short-term
detention of individuals, and to this end inspected the constable points of the West and South
Prefectures of the PBGB. The Chancellor also continued the annual analysis of death cases of
individuals detained in the police detention centres of the PBGB.
The following inspection visits were carried out in 2014:
1) inspection visit to Valga and Võru cellblocks of the police detention centre of the public
order bureau of the South prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/140655);
2) inspection visit to Jõhvi, Rakvere and Narva cellblocks of the police detention centre of
the public order bureau of the East prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/140723);
3) inspection visit to the constable points of the West and South prefectures of the PBGB
(case No 7-7/140981);
4) inspection visit to the cellblock of Tallinn City Centre police station of the North
Prefecture (case No 7-7/141124);
5) inspection visit to Tartu and Jõgeva cellblocks of the police detention centre of the
public order bureau of the South Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/141221);
6) inspection visit to Haapsalu and Kuressaare cellblocks of the police detention centre of
the public order bureau of the West Prefecture of the PBGB (case No 7-7/150025).
The Chancellor’s visits to the police facilities were unannounced. On one occasion, the
Chancellor involved a general practitioner as an expert and on three occasions a Rescue Service
specialist in the inspection visits.
1.1. Inspection visits to the cellblocks of the public order bureaus of the prefectures of the
PBGB
The shortcomings found during the inspection visits to the cellblocks of the public order bureaus
of the prefectures of the PBGB (Valga, Võru, Jõhvi, Rakvere, Narva, Tallinn City Centre, Tartu,
Jõgeva, Haapsalu and Kuressaare cellblocks) have been described below.
The detention conditions in the cellblocks in older police facilities (Valga, Võru and Haapsalu)
are partly still poor although attempts to modernise them have been made. For example, lighting
in cells has been changed, ventilation systems improved and repairs to improve the overall
living conditions have been carried out. However, Haapsalu cellblock still lacks an exercise
yard and the cells have no windows.
Unfortunately, shortcomings in the detention conditions and in guaranteeing the lawful rights
of individuals were also found in cellblocks built only recently. The Chancellor is concerned
that Jõgeva and Kuressaare police buildings, which were completed a few years ago and
presumably designed specifically in view of the needs of the police, do not have exercise yards
to enable detainees spend time outdoors as required. Instead of an exercise yard, detainees are
given an opportunity to walk in a cell in which a relatively small window has been opened to
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