Page 73 - 2021-Yillik-Rapor-Ingilizce

THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE

Activities of Penal Institutions

Significant number of the applications submitted by the detainees and convicts consist
of requests for transfer to a penal institution close to their families. Besides, complaints
are lodged to Ombudsman Institution by the detainees and convicts about increasing
the quality of the meals given in prisons, serving diet/vegetarian meals, delivering the
clothing items sent by their families and relatives, benefiting from health services, free
transportation of goods during transportation, refunding over-charged transportation
expenses, benefiting from periodicals and non-periodical publications, etc.
As a result of the examinations made by our institution, in case of detection of restrictions
on the guaranteed rights of detainees and convicts, recommendations are issued.
Case Summaries

Healthy Nutrition Demands of Detainees and Convicts Accommodated in Penal
Institutions

In the applications submitted to Ombudsman Institution (OI) regarding the healthy
nutrition of detainees and convicts in penal institutions; complaints were made about
the fact that despite various illness and a doctor's report, the necessary food was not
provided in line with the medical diet, the menu suitable for vegetarian nutrition was
not provided, the content of the menu provided did not consist of sufficient and
balanced foods.

With regard to such applications, in addition to correspondence with the relevant
administrations, OI continues its examination by obtaining medical opinion from
health institutions. As a result of the investigations, providing the necessary food in line
with the medical diet, recommendations were made to the Ministry of Justice to support
the menu contents in terms of protein and to give importance to nutritional diversity in
the menu planning of vegetarian prisoners and convicts and upon our recommendation,
a new diet menu was prepared and put into practice.

Prison transfer requests

Prison transfer requests to OI mainly consist of transfer requests due to the family union
reasons. OI, with regard to such applications, accommodation of convicts in penal
institutions close to their families, it is not always suitable due to the capacity of penal
institutions and other issues to be considered in the placement of convicts, considering
the fact that the capacity of the penal institutions requested close to the family is quite
full, the justification of the administration in this direction is considered reasonable.

However, since the capacity of the penal institutions may change constantly, although
the transfer could not be achieved due to the fact that the penal institutions requested
for transfer were already over their capacity, provided that the transfer conditions were
met, following the removal of the measures taken within the scope of the Covid-19

2021 ANNUAL REPORT 69