- 52 At the time of the 2015 visit, some 50 HIV-positive prisoners continued to be held in the
prison hospital while 47 were accommodated on two floors in the third wing of Korydallos
Women’s Prison. In general, the conditions here were far better than those in the prison hospital in
terms of hygiene and living space (for example, four persons in 16m² and 7-8 persons in some
32m²). Further, the atmosphere was calmer and prisoners stated that they felt safe. This is positive.
However, as regards regime, these prisoners were offered no organised activities or meaningful
work and spent their time either on the wing or in the yard for up to four hours a day. Indeed, other
than a weekly visit by an NGO which provided counselling and some activities, they were provided
with no support.
The CPT recommends that steps be taken to provide HIV-positive prisoners located in
Korydallos Women’s Prison with a wide range of purposeful activities.
87.
At Alikarnassos Prison, the delegation met two HIV-positive prisoners who had been
accommodated for some six months together in a cell of 7m² in the segregation unit. For the first
three weeks they had slept on mattresses on the floor before a bunk bed was installed, and during
the day they had been confined to the narrow corridor running the length of the segregation unit. It
was only three days prior to the delegation’s visit that they had been offered access to the small
enclosed segregation unit exercise yard. Moreover, in addition to being small, the cell had no access
to natural light, ventilation was poor and the artificial lighting (a naked bulb) built into the wall just
below the ceiling at the back of the cell was constantly on. The in-cell floor level toilet was not
screened and the prisoners tried to use the shower/toilet facility in the corridor; however, at night
they could not contact the staff to be let out as there was no call bell.
The segregation of HIV-positive prisoners in Greek prisons is an established practice.
Moreover, the conditions in which these prisoners are placed are often worse than those in the main
accommodation block. At Alikarnassos Prison, it would have been possible for these two prisoners
to have shared a cell on the ordinary accommodation wing and to have been integrated into the
general population and provided with a normal regime. Instead, they were segregated and offered
much harsher living conditions because of prejudice towards these prisoners. The Greek authorities
need to introduce an educational programme for staff and prisoners on living with persons with
transmissible diseases in order to counter the current prejudice which is based on unfounded fears.
If medical confidentiality functioned properly, there would be no reason for staff or prisoners to
know whether a prisoner was HIV positive or not.
The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities put in place an information
programme for staff and prisoners on transmissible diseases and notably on HIV. Further, it
recommends that clear instructions be issued to ensure that HIV-positive prisoners are
treated equally with other prisoners and have access to the same regime. Moreover, HIVpositive prisoners should not be held in the segregation unit of Alikarnassos Prison as long as
the conditions in these cells do not meet the same standards as the conditions in the ordinary
accommodation cells and prisoners held there are not offered the same range of activities as
other prisoners.
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