- 52 108. As regards access to education, in most of the prisons visited there were little or no opportunities. This was particularly the case for Amfissa, Chios and Korydallos Men’s Prison, but was also very noticeable at Malandrino and Patras Prisons which accommodate many long-term prisoners. At Patras Prison, the delegation was informed of the construction of a school but no timetable was provided nor any indication of the types and numbers of courses to be taught. At Thiva Prison, a “school of second chance” had been established and in 2008/2009 some 35 prisoners had participated in the five day a week course (8h00 to 13h00) and there were plans to extend the scope of the school. At Thessaloniki Prison, a similar school was in place providing courses to some 72 prisoners in pleasant and well-equipped premises. Further, the delegation was informed of the increased involvement of the Ministry of Education in enriching the various courses on offer, such as one on Information Technology, which would result in a professional qualification. 109. On a positive note, the arts and crafts workshops at Malandrino and Patras Prisons were well appreciated by the prisoners. Likewise, the painting workshops at Thiva Prison were considered extremely positive by the women who attended. The main problem was that the opportunities for participation in these workshops were limited and further, at Thiva Prison, many prisoners preferred to have a nominal cleaning job for which they could obtain 23 day’s remission for every month worked as opposed to 13 day’s remission if they attended a painting workshop. c. assessment 110. Regrettably, the provisions in the 1999 Prison Law78, setting down the standards of accommodation and the norms for a safe environment, including health and hygiene, to be provided to each prisoner, were still not being complied with. The measures undertaken to improve conditions of detention continue to be far too reactive and limited in scope, as opposed to being proactive and comprehensive. While not underestimating the challenges facing the Greek prison system, the CPT considers that it is incumbent upon the authorities to address the shortcomings outlined above in a systematic manner with a view to rendering the day to day reality in prisons consistent with the humane prison policy enshrined in law. The conditions of detention in some of the prisons (or units within prisons) visited by the CPT’s delegation, for example Amfissa Prison, could be described as amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment. 78 See, for example, Article 21 on prisoner’s living place, which provides inter alia for prison accommodation to consist of cells and exceptionally wards for up to six persons, and that wards should provide at least 6m² space per prisoner.