- 16 The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities reiterate to custodial staff at Corfu Prison the clear message that physical ill-treatment of prisoners is wholly unacceptable and will be sanctioned accordingly. The management at Corfu Prison should demonstrate increased vigilance in this area, by ensuring the regular presence of prison managers (including the director) in the detention areas, their direct contact with prisoners, the investigation of complaints made by prisoners, and improved prison staff training. The CPT also recommends that the cells in the wing at the entrance of Corfu Prison be closed permanently. Further, all suspected violations of the prison rules should be dealt with in accordance with the prescribed disciplinary procedures. b. inter-prisoner violence 24. The CPT’s delegation found that the high levels of inter-prisoner physical violence evident in all the prisons visited in 2019 had reduced, with fewer instances of severe injuries resulting in hospitalisation. Further, at Korydallos Men’s Prison, there was no longer a pervasive climate of fear present on the wings. The Greek authorities explained that improving security within the prison system was a priority, with better controls of all goods and persons entering prison establishments and targeted transfers from one prison to another of violent prisoners or of those threatening the good order of a prison. If properly and fairly applied these measures represent a start in tackling the phenomenon of inter-prisoner violence. However, the delegation found once again that much of the inter-prisoner violence and intimidation remains unreported as prisoners do not believe that staff can help them. Indeed, stronger prisoners or groups of prisoners run the wings in each of the larger prisons visited laying down the rules and often deciding which prisoners can stay or be admitted to their wing. In this regard, the underlying dynamic within prisons has not changed since 2019 and it is to be seen to what extent the restrictions imposed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to the reduction in severe instances of inter-prisoner violence. In sum, most Greek prisons still do not provide a safe and secure environment for prisoners which is directly linked to the continued shortages of staff, resulting in control being ceded to groups of particular prisoners, often formed along ethnic lines, within the accommodation wings. The number of prison officers must be increased substantially, and a dynamic security approach be introduced, within prisons. 25. As mentioned above, the situation at Korydallos Men’s Prison had improved and it was positive that prisoners were now locked in their cells between 13h00 and 14h30, in accordance with the official regime rules. Nevertheless, the situation remains combustible and dangerous for both prisoners and staff. At the time of the visit, the four main wings (A-D), each with 117 cells on three floors and holding between 228 and 449 prisoners, were still staffed only by a single prison officer. The situation was no better on Wing E which was holding 340 persons, primarily in dormitories. The role of the custodial officer on this wing was to act as a “turnkey”, spending much of his time locking and unlocking the wing gates for the constant flow of individual prisoners attending or returning from services in other parts of the establishment.