Podgorica, (MINA) – Conditions in Montenegrin prisons have worsened in many aspects compared to previous years, while overcrowding, long-term detention and poor living conditions represent most serious problems.

This is stated in the preliminary report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) following a visit to Montenegro at the end of last year.

During the visit, the CPT delegation visited several prisons, institutions for juveniles, psychiatric institutions and facilities within the social protection system, as well as two police stations, in order to assess the treatment and living conditions of persons deprived of their liberty.

The report notes that the CPT delegation observed some positive initiatives underway, including the imminent completion of a new prison hospital, but that various problems continue to burden the prison system.

“The treatment and conditions for prisoners and patients have not fundamentally changed since 2017, and in some aspects have even worsened. This is especially the case with the Bijelo Polje Prison, the Podgorica Remand Prison, as well as with the visited institutions from the social protection system and psychiatric institutions (specifically the Dobrota Special Psychiatric Hospital and the Ljubovic Center for Children and Young Adults)”, the press release says.

The CPT points out that one of the key problems is the sudden increase in the number of detainees, as their number has almost doubled since the last visit of the CPT in 2022 and now makes up about 56 percent of the total prison population in Montenegro.

The report states that most prisoners claim that the prison staff treats them fairly, but the CPT delegation also recorded some claims of physical abuse, especially in the Spuz Remand Prison and the Bijelo Polje prison.

According to the document, violence among prisoners occurs fairly regularly, although it is less frequent than the Committee recorded in 2022.

The CPT called on the Montenegrin authorities to urgently take measures to improve security and conditions in prisons, including removing four-tier bunk beds, providing basic hygiene items to all detainees and improving conditions for minors.