CELPL - Annual report - 2021

In 2021, the CELPL continued its mission to prevent inhumane treatment in a context still heavily impacted by the pandemic. It continued to monitor the balance between public health measures and fundamental rights in all places of detention, while publishing two major reports: the follow-up report on the Detention Center and its first thematic recommendation on post-psychiatric hospitalization care. The year was also marked by a special inspection mission at UNISEC, conducted jointly with OKaJu, in response to criticism regarding capacity, placements, and the care model. At the same time, the agency issued several important opinions in the context of legislative reforms, notably on the future youth law and on the draft Grand Ducal regulation governing correctional facilities.
 
The 24/7 on-call service resulted in responses to three fires and one suicide at the CPL, illustrating the increased vulnerability of detainees. The data collected show a significant increase in isolation measures at the CPL (+39.5%), as well as a notable rise in restraint measures in the psychiatric unit (+50%), which has drawn the full attention of the CELPL. Finally, the report emphasizes the need to expand the mechanism’s jurisdiction to include de facto places of deprivation of liberty (nursing homes, specialized residential facilities), as well as to accelerate the adoption of certain essential regulatory texts, including those governing searches, inspections, and internal prison regulations. The CELPL urges lawmakers to act swiftly to address these shortcomings and strengthen the protection of persons deprived of their liberty.