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are carried out occasionally," all with the presence of General Security Inspection
authorities "in order to provide all guarantees, both for the prison population and for the
penitentiary personnel." Likewise, it indicated that in advisory support of the Province, the
federal penitentiary system has outlined a work methodology with the purpose of
improving security patterns through greater presence in the cellblocks and increased
patrols. Also, the State indicated specifically that the Boulogne Sur Mer complex has an
inspection section made up of an official and 52 officers, allowing the inspections to be
carried out on a daily basis. Likewise, the San Felipe II Penitentiary Complex has an
inspection division made up of eight officers. They inspect the cells one at a time without
using any violent methods.
24.
The representatives of the beneficiaries indicated regarding this that the State has
carried out "a clear policy of increasing the number of penitentiary personnel in order to be
able to provide services in the various facilities," thus allowing for an increase in the
number of inmates transferred from the Boulogne Sur Mer penitentiary to the Almafuerte
facility.” Nevertheless, they specified that the penitentiary personnel are still not
adequately trained and therefore not suitable, in addition to being subjected to exhausting
work hours, and therefore the inspections they carry out are inadequate. Likewise, they
reiterated that overcrowding still exists in some blocks and that penitentiary policies do not
attend to the individuals in isolation. Finally, with regard to the young adults, they
highlighted that the daily lockdown is more than 18 to 20 hours, as this population is the
one with the most problems with violence, and violent incidents persist. According to the
representatives and in accordance with the information provided by the sentence execution
judge to the Mendoza Supreme Court, as regards the Gustavo André prison in Lavalle, it
still does not meet security standards on its emergency sprinkler system for fires and it
lacks communication equipment like telephones.
25. Also, with regard to separation according to block, the representatives hold that
information provided by the State "contradicts reality," as it cannot state that the situation
has improved "in such a short time" after the Commission's visit, especially when intraprison violence continues to be reported.
26. In its report dated November 16, 2009, after its in situ visit, the Commission
indicated that conditions in the Mendoza Provincial Penitentiary were deficient in terms of
security and fostered violence among the inmates. This was recognized by the prison
guards themselves; they confirmed that the penitentiary personnel was insufficient and
that due to fear, the guards did not regularly visit the blocks, for which reason they cannot
monitor what happens in places away from the yard. Also, it confirmed that the work shifts
were excessive, and the guard personnel expressed that the greater need at the moment,
in terms of security, was for an increase in the number of personnel. In the same way, it
reported that the training provided was not sufficient and indicated that said training
should "include preparation for responding to emergency situations and for the treatment
of the penitentiary population in accordance with international standards." In the same
way, and although it viewed positively the increase in the number of penitentiary personnel
reported by the State, the Commission requested that the State be required to provide "the
details of the number of guard officials specifically assigned to the departments at issue in
these provisional measures."
27. The Court observes that while these measures have been in effect, there has been a
steady increase in the number of security personnel designated for guarding inmates
deprived of liberty in the penitentiaries, although it could very well be insufficient.
Additionally , certain mechanisms have been implemented to improve the security