- 55 At Ioannina Prison, the delegation learned about a specific incident of inter-prisoner violence during which a prisoner had been so severely beaten and injured by other inmates that he required immediate hospitalisation to treat his broken jaw. However, he was prevented by the perpetrators from seeking medical assistance and he was only found by prison officers several hours later (at which point he was then transported to the local hospital), as staff rarely patrol inside the wings. This case further illustrates the problem that very low staff numbers impede the effective exercise of the duty of care, even in a relatively small prison, such as Ioannina. The CPT once again reiterates its recommendation (already made in its 2009 and 2011 visit reports), that the Greek authorities devise an effective national strategy concerning the prevention of inter-prisoner violence and intimidation. Of course, such a strategy is dependent on the level of staffing being sufficient to enable prison officers to supervise adequately the activities of prisoners and support each other in the exercise of their tasks (see also paragraph 110). 99. At Avlona Special Detention Facility for Juveniles, there were in fact fewer than 30 juveniles (15 to 17 years of age) among the population of 360 inmates; the rest of the population was 18 years of age or older (see paragraph 103). The juveniles were routinely intimidated, hit and bullied by the older inmates. As a result, they were afraid and many spent their days in the cells not daring to come out, except for going to school. Prison staff acknowledged to the delegation that they were powerless to help the juveniles due to low staff numbers, and had advised the juveniles who had sought assistance to “lie low”. The CPT's delegation invoked Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention and requested that the Greek authorities take the necessary steps to ensure that all inmates under the age of 18 held in Avlona Special Detention Facility for Juveniles are placed in a safe environment and provided with the necessary support that their age group requires. By communication of 17 June 2013, the Greek authorities informed the CPT that the Ministry of Justice was considering transferring juvenile prisoners from Avlona to the Corinth Detention Facility in order to accommodate them in an area which guarantees the provision of a higher level of correctional services for this group. The CPT would like to receive up-dated information on whether the juveniles have been transferred to the Corinth Detention Facility (see also paragraph 114).

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