In the last year we have opened 221 new cases related to persons deprived of their liberty and
the NPM. With regard to reasons for contacting the Ombudswoman, generally there are no
significant deviations from the previous year. In general, reasons for complaints related to the
accommodation conditions, health care provision, conduct of judicial police officers, denial of
benefits, transfers, etc.
According to the data received from the Central Office of the Prison System Directorate, on
31 December 2013 there was a total of 4,346 persons deprived of their liberty in prisons and
penitentiaries, of which 44% are placed in penitentiaries and 56% in prisons. Considering that
the accommodation capacity of the prison system is 3,771 persons, it is easy to conclude that
the overall occupancy rate is 115%. However, the analysis of occupancy indicators in high
security conditions shows that the average occupancy rate is 122%, with great variations
ranging from 43% at the male juvenile prison in Požega to 208% at Osijek County Prison.
Because the construction of a new block of Glina State Prison significantly increased the
capacity of that penal institution (the State Prison's occupancy rate in high security conditions
is 58%), the average occupancy rate was substantially affected and consequently does not
reflect the actual situation in a majority of penal institutions. For instance, when calculating
the prisons' average occupancy rate in high security conditions, it amounts to a high 149%.
Thus, all that was stated in previous reports regarding the negative effects of overcrowding on
conditions in the prison system also remains valid for 2013.
Out of the total number of complaints submitted to the Ombudswoman from persons deprived
of their liberty in 2013, 54% were submitted from prison. Most of the complaints from
persons deprived of their liberty relate to the accommodation conditions (19%), health care
(18%), conduct of judicial police officers (12%) and transfers (11%). The largest number of
complaints came from Lepoglava State Prison (19%), Zagreb County Prison (17%), Glina
State Prison (14%) and Bjelovar County Prison (10%). While the reason for a higher number
of complaints coming from penal institutions in Zagreb, Lepoglava and Glina can be
explained by the large number of prisoners placed in those institutions, this cannot be the
reason for a higher number of complaints coming from Bjelovar County Prison. In fact, out of
the overall number of persons held in the prison system of the Republic of Croatia, Bjelovar
County Prison holds only 2% of persons deprived of their liberty. The same trend was
observed when these data were compared with the Central Office of the Prison System
Directorate's data on the number of complaints pursuant to the Execution of Prison Sentences
Act (OG 128/99, 55/00, 59/00, 129/00, 59/01, 67/01, 11/02, 190/03 – consolidated text, 76/07,
27/08, 83/09, 18/11, 48/11, 125/11, 56/13 and 150/13, hereinafter: EPSA). The fact that a
relatively higher number of complaints is received from a specific penal institution does not
necessarily indicate certain shortcomings, but in any case requires closer monitoring.
The analysis of the reasons for complaints made by persons deprived of their liberty placed in
Bjelovar County Prison shows that the highest number of complaints relates to the
accommodation conditions, conduct of judicial police officers and transfers. At Zagreb
County Prison, complaints were mostly related to health care, accommodation conditions,
conduct of judicial police officers and treatment; at Glina State Prison, to accommodation