- 22 B. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice 1. Preliminary remarks 48. The information provided by the Greek authorities at the beginning of the visit suggests that the long-standing problem of overcrowding of civil prison establishments has become even more acute: there were 7,720 prisoners at the time of the 1999 visit, for an official capacity of 4,700 places (compared to 5,452 prisoners for 4,332 places in 1997). It was stressed that the failure to remedy the problem was due primarily to the continuing increase of foreign prisoners (currently 47% of the total prison population). To alleviate overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice has launched a programme for the construction of nine new prisons and two rehabilitation centres for drugaddicts, several of which are expected to enter into service in 2000. The CPT must re-iterate its recommendation that the Greek authorities pursue vigorously the application of all the different measures to combat prison overcrowding, including policies to limit or modulate the number of persons sent to prison. In this context, the Greek authorities might find useful guidance in the principles and measures set out in Recommendation No R (99) 22 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, concerning prison overcrowding and prison population inflation. 2. Ill-treatment 49. No allegations of physical ill-treatment of inmates by staff were received at the two establishments visited, and no other evidence was found of such treatment. 50. However, information gathered by the delegation at the Avlona Institution for Male Juvenile Offenders suggests that inter-prisoner violence (in particular between inmates originating from different countries) constitutes a problem. The establishment’s Director pointed out that this was the main challenge with which he and his staff were confronted. Addressing the phenomenon of inter-prisoner violence requires of a prison's staff that it be alert to signs of trouble and both resolved and properly trained to intervene when necessary. The existence of positive relations between staff and prisoners, based on the notions of secure custody and care, is a decisive factor in this context; this will depend in large measure on staff possessing appropriate interpersonal communication skills. Further, management must be prepared to fully support staff in the exercise of their authority. Specific security measures adapted to the particular characteristics of the situation encountered (including effective search procedures) may also be required. However, such measures can never be more than an adjunct to the above-mentioned basic imperatives.