as glass partitions. Visitors are intimidated by having to fully undress every time for a search.
Such a search seriously interferes with everyone’s rights, especially the rights of a child, so
that it should be justified by specific circumstances. A sound reason might be, for example,
that a person has previously tried to smuggle prohibited items into the prison or the prison
has obtained information that the person is carrying a prohibited item.
Staff admitting visitors at the first visitor entrance to Tallinn Prison were terse and strict.
Communication with children coming for a visit could have been better. Visiting times did not
match the public transport schedule, so that visitors had to arrive quite a while before the
visit and parents with small children were forced to wait for a long time in the prison.
The Chancellor has traditionally emphasised the fact that a positive experience gained during
visits between a prisoner and their family members strengthens family ties and reduces the
risk of committing new criminal offences.
Time and again, the Chancellor has to deal with complaints that a person is forced to wait for
a court judgment for a long time in prison. In one case a petitioner had been held in custody
for more than four years. The Chancellor reminded the prison that, in order to reduce the
harmful effects of long custody pending trial, the prison must offer meaningful activities
outside the cell to these people. That is, detainees should be given an opportunity to work,
acquire an education, participate in social programmes, do sports, etc. If possible, a person
who has spent a long time in custody pending trial should not be placed in a cell alone.
Police and Border Guard Board detention facilities
Among the detention facilities of the Police and Border Guard Board, the Chancellor
inspected four police detention centres during the reporting year: the detention centres of
Valga and Võru police station in the South Prefecture, the detention centre of Rakvere police
station in the East Prefecture, and the Tallinn police detention centre.
As usual, the Chancellor checked the living conditions in police detention centres. Although
many detention centres have been renovated and refurbished, some police detention
centres, such as the detention centre in Valga, are still in a poor state of repair, and the
Chancellor has repeatedly drawn attention to the poor living conditions there. Such cells may
only be used short-term. No exercise yard meeting requirements exists in Valga police
detention centre or in the relatively new Võru police detention centre, while the exercise yard
in Rakvere police detention centre has no benches. Forced ventilation in the Võru police