- 40 The CPT reiterates its recommendation that the Greek authorities vigorously pursue their efforts to combat prison overcrowding, by placing further emphasis on non-custodial measures in the period before the imposition of a sentence, increasing the use of alternatives to imprisonment and adopting measures to facilitate the reintegration into society of persons deprived of their liberty.46 Moreover, it is essential that the adoption of non-custodial measures in law be accompanied by providing judges and prosecutors with the necessary education and ensuring that the appropriate infrastructure is in place. Prosecutors met by the delegation in the course of the visit expressed their scepticism as regards the application of alternative measures to imprisonment. 63. The challenges facing the prison system in Greece are not new and the CPT has been consistently pointing out the structural deficiencies for many years. Indeed, the CPT’s Public Statement of March 2011 was an alarm call for the Greek authorities to act to put in place a prison system that can provide safe and secure custody for inmates. Regrettably, the concerns raised by the CPT were not fully acknowledged by the previous governmental authorities and, as observed during the 2015 visit, the situation has further deteriorated to the point where lives are being lost. There is now an even greater need to recognise the systemic shortcomings and to devise a strategic plan for the recovery of the prison system with clear short, medium and long-term goals. Currently, many prisons in Greece are merely acting as warehouses in which to hold people until they are eligible to be released back into the community. It is high time to change the way prisons function in Greece. The discussions held at the end of the visit with the Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights were constructive and there was a clear statement of political will by the Minister and support from senior officials from the Ministry of Justice to tackle the systemic deficiencies in prisons. Addressing problems of this magnitude will require both political determination and public service leadership of the highest calibre. In this context, the CPT reiterates its availability, as well as that of the relevant departments of the Council of Europe, to support the Greek authorities in this endeavour should they so request. In the communication of 30 June 2015, the Ministry of Justice responded to a number of the issues raised in the preliminary observations made by the CPT’s delegation at the end of the visit; this information has been taken into account in the report. The CPT has in particular taken note of the Ministry’s commitment to devise a “strategy plan with short, middle and long term goals and objectives for [the Greek] correctional system and policy”. 46 In this context, they should be guided not only by Recommendation Rec (99) 22 on prison overcrowding and prison population inflation, but also by other relevant Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe such as Recommendation Rec (2000) 22 on improving the implementation of the European rules on community sanctions and measures, Recommendation Rec (2003) 22 on conditional release (parole), Recommendation (2006) 13 on the use of remand in custody, the conditions in which it takes place and the provision of safeguards against abuse, and Recommendation Rec (2010) 1 on the Council of Europe Probation Rules.