- 54 The CPT has made clear that immediate steps are required to bring to an end the practice of holding persons, in particular immigration detainees, for prolonged periods in ordinary law enforcement agency detention facilities; the physical surroundings and the level of activities which can be offered in such facilities will almost invariably fall distinctly short of what a detainee held for a prolonged period is entitled to expect. B. Prisons 127. With the exception of Malandrino Prison, the delegation received no allegations of illtreatment of prisoners, and observed that relations between inmates and staff were generally of a positive nature. At Malandrino, several inmates alleged that they had been treated roughly and verbally abused by prison officers, and one prisoner claimed that he had recently been punched and kicked. The CPT has recommended that staff at Malandrino Prison receive at the earliest opportunity the clear message that both physical ill-treatment and verbal abuse of prisoners are not acceptable and will be dealt with severely. 128. The CPT has recommended that all prison officers receive training in control and restraint techniques. The possession of such skills will enable staff to choose the most appropriate response when confronted with difficult situations, thereby significantly reducing the risk of injuries to both prisoners and staff. More generally, the importance of the adequate recruitment and training (both initial and inservice) of prison staff has been underlined. 129. The adoption of a new Prison Law in 1999 is a welcome development and the efforts being made by the Greek authorities to improve conditions of detention offered to prisoners should be acknowledged. At the same time, much remains to be done; overcrowding is still rampant and regime activities are underdeveloped. The principal obstacle to providing decent conditions of detention to prisoners in Greece continues to be overcrowding. In this connection, the CPT has underlined that the construction of new prisons is unlikely, on its own, to provide a lasting solution; multifaceted policies, including measures to limit and/or modulate the number of persons being sent to prison, are required. 130. Material conditions of detention at Malandrino Prison were of a high standard; however, in Alicarnassos and Khania Prisons and Korydallos Prison for Men, they were not satisfactory. In particular, the latter establishments were all seriously overcrowded; in certain parts of Korydallos Prison for Men, cell occupancy rates reached totally unacceptable levels (e.g. up to six inmates in 9.5 m² cells).