In a report published today on its December 2016 visit, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) strongly criticises the conditions of detention and treatment of inmates at Idrizovo Prison, which holds some 60 % of the country’s prisoners.
The report recalls that since 2006 the CPT has repeatedly highlighted certain fundamental structural issues, such as a lack of policy on how to manage complex institutions, an inadequate system of reporting and supervision, and the poor management and performance of staff. The findings from the December 2016 visit demonstrate that little progress has been made to address these issues across the prison system. Moreover, at Idrizovo Prison, the provision of health-care remains totally inadequate and places prisoners lives at risk; the absence of any appropriate regime means prisoners have nothing constructive to do; and the conditions of detention in several parts of the prison could be considered as inhuman.
