- 23 It is also obvious that an effective strategy to tackle inter-prisoner violence should seek to ensure that prison staff are placed in a position to exercise their authority in an appropriate manner. Consequently, the level of staff must be sufficient to enable prison officials to closely supervise the activities of prisoners and effectively to support each other in the exercise of their supervisory tasks. In this connection, it should be noted that the Avlona Institution for Male Juvenile Offenders was understaffed: the staff complement comprised 48 custodial staff, 10 administrative employees and 3 social workers. It is difficult to see how such a staff complement can provide close surveillance and communication with inmates (who numbered 279 at the time of the visit). The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat inter-prisoner violence at the Avlona Institution for Male Juvenile Offenders, in the light of the above remarks. 3. Follow-up visit to Korydallos Prison Complex 51. Korydallos Prison Complex was visited by the CPT in both 1993 and 1997, and was the subject of a number of recommendations and comments in the subsequent visit reports (cf. CPT/Inf (94) 20, paragraphs 41 to 44 and paragraphs 107 to 121 of the report on 1997 visit). In the course of the 1999 visit, the CPT’s delegation visited certain parts of Korydallos Prison Complex4, in order to assess the measures taken by the Greek authorities to implement the recommendations made by the CPT. 52. Since 1997, the official capacity of Korydallos Prison for men had risen to 730 places, due to the conversion of the former Prison for young male offenders into a new 250-place unit (Unit 5) for male prisoners. On the other hand, the establishment’s population had almost doubled: on the day of the visit, the prison was holding 1,922 prisoners (two-thirds of whom were sentenced), as compared to 1,032 at the time of the 1997 visit. Nearly 50% of the prisoners were foreign nationals. 53. The delegation observed that certain improvements had been made since 1997, in line with the CPT’s recommendations. Part of the main accommodation building had been repainted; the shower and laundry facilities had been repaired; the visiting facilities had been remodelled; the prison library had been brought back into service (albeit the collection of books was still rather small). However, the problem of overcrowding persisted, and many of the 9.5 m² cells in the main accommodation building continued to hold three prisoners. Further, the cells seen by the delegation in wings A and D had not benefited from any refurbishment, and were in a bad state of repair and dirty. Prisoners also reported having difficulties in maintaining hygiene, due to the presence of vermin and a shortage of personal hygiene items. 4 I.e. the Prison for men, the Prison Hospital and the Psychiatric unit.