-7The living conditions in the prisons visited were generally very poor and the 1999 Prison Law
provisions on accommodation standards and norms for a safe environment to be provided to each
prisoner are simply no longer adhered to. Some of the conditions encountered, notably at
Korydallos Prison Hospital and at Nafplio Prison, can easily be considered as amounting to
inhuman and degrading treatment. As regards the general daily routine in prisons, the range and
number of purposeful activities and work opportunities available remains totally insufficient. The
Committee makes specific recommendations to address the current conditions and requests that the
Greek authorities provide a clear timetable with specific benchmarks regarding their implementation.
The CPT is particularly concerned that there has been no improvement in the provision of healthcare services in prisons. Underlying the widespread deficiencies is a severe shortage of health-care
staff and a complete lack of integrated management of health-care services. The Committee
recommends that the Ministries of Justice and Health jointly review the state of health-care services
in prisons and draw up a detailed plan to ensure that prisons meet the general principle of
equivalence of care. Further, a series of recommendations are made inter alia to reinforce healthcare staffing levels, guarantee medical confidentiality and ensure that HIV-positive prisoners are
treated equally with other prisoners. The Greek authorities should also put in place a practice of
carrying out effective investigations into deaths in custody, starting with the cases raised in the
report by the CPT.
The situation in Korydallos Prison Hospital was so drastic at the time of the 2015 visit, notably in
terms of overcrowding, extremely poor hygiene and understaffing, that the place could be compared
to a dumping ground for sick prisoners who are subsequently neglected and not provided with the
care required. The Greek authorities should take immediate steps to undertake, as a matter of
urgency, a full review of the prison hospital and put in place a plan to resurrect it as a place of care.
Moreover, the Committee makes recommendations to urgently review and increase staffing levels
in all prisons, improve prisoners’ contact with the outside world and introduce a formal complaints
system.
Children deprived of their liberty
Several detained juveniles alleged that they had been ill-treated by police officers upon
apprehension or while held in police custody. Further, they claimed that they had been questioned
and made to sign documents (confessions or other statements) without the presence of a lawyer
and/or a trusted person. The Greek authorities need to take rigorous action to ensure that existing
safeguards operate in practice from the outset of a juvenile’s deprivation of liberty. Further, the
CPT considers that juveniles should not be held in detention in police stations for more than 24
hours; instead, at present, periods of ten days or longer in inadequate conditions and without an
appropriate regime are not uncommon. Moreover, children should never be detained in police
custody because of the actions of their parents or the lack of alternative accommodation possibilities
or care arrangements.
The Special Juvenile Detention Facility in Corinth Judicial Prison does not provide a supportive
environment for juveniles and efforts should be made to upgrade the material conditions, enhance
the provision of organised activities and ensure that staff working with the juveniles are
appropriately trained and supervised. In particular, the legal provisions regulating the placement of
juveniles in solitary confinement as a disciplinary punishment should be amended. More generally,
the Committee urges the Greek authorities to review the current approach towards the detention of
juveniles with a view to providing them with a more juvenile-centred and supportive environment.