- 47 the time of the 2009 visit, it was holding 157 persons for an official capacity of 110. The problem of overcrowding remained and in six of the nine dormitories there was scarcely 2m² per prisoner. There was an insufficient quantity of beds and, at the time of the visit, 17 inmates were forced to share a bed with other inmates or to sleep on a mattress on the floor. The downstairs dormitories were generally clean and well-maintained, and had been recently painted. By contrast, the upstairs dormitories were in a state of disrepair. Inmates complained about the lack of hygiene products provided by the prison administration, and the delegation observed that there was a need for more intensive cleaning to be carried out. The sanitary facilities were barely adequate for the numbers of prisoners (one shower, two toilets and two sinks for 24 inmates) given that inmates had to wash their clothes and dishes in this area too. Further, most inmates had no personal lockable space; as was the case in 2005, the only items of furniture apart from beds were one table and a few chairs in each dormitory. 99. Korydallos Men’s Prison, located in the west of Athens, was built in the 1970’s and initially consisted of four separate wings (A,B, C, D) each containing 120 single-occupancy cells on three floors. A fifth unit (E) was added in the late 1990’s following the conversion of the former Prison for young offenders. At the time of the 2009 visit, the official capacity was 700 while the occupancy level had not decreased since the previous visits in 2005 and 2007 and stood at 2,100. The phenomenon of overcrowding in this prison is neither new nor temporary. The CPT has been highlighting the necessity for the authorities to take action to reduce the occupancy levels in the cells since 199368. The CPT has recognised in the past that it would be unrealistic to expect the occupancy level to be reduced to the one person per cell original design, but it has recommended that serious efforts be taken to reduce the number to no more than two prisoners per cell. However, in 2009 the delegation observed once again that the 9.5m² cells continued to accommodate three or even four inmates. 100. Korydallos Women’s Remand Prison, located across the road from the Men’s Prison, was described in the report on the 2005 visit69. It has an official capacity of 270 and at the time of the visit was holding 178 inmates70. The material conditions were generally satisfactory, and the dormitories provided roughly 4m² of space per prisoner, which is acceptable. However, the cell accommodation was cramped with three, sometimes four, inmates sharing a cell of 9.5m². Despite operating well below its official capacity, the overcrowding is explained by the fact that two of the three main accommodation wings were not in service at the time of the visit, which were apparently closed down due to a lack of staff. 67 68 69 70 See CPT/Inf (2006) 41, paragraph 89. See CPT/Inf (1994) 20, paragraphs 105 to 110. See CPT/Inf (2006) 41, paragraph 86. Sentenced women prisoners were transferred in August 2007 to Thiva Prison.