A/HRC/41/15 evaluation of the children’s progress. Cyprus promoted the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. 96. In order to remedy the problem of overcrowding in prisons, the Government had enacted legislation extending the possibilities for conditional release as well as the use of electronic monitoring. Prison facilities were constantly being repaired, reconstructed and enlarged. The community service framework was under consideration as an alternative to imprisonment of pretrial inmates. 97. All persons under the age of 21 who entered prison facilities following the commission of a crime were treated as juveniles. Special attention was paid to their individual needs, depending on their age and personal development, and they were regularly monitored and assessed. They served their sentences in a recently renovated juvenile wing. All inmates, including juveniles, received sufficient and clean bedding and personal hygiene products. 98. Inmates who could not bear the cost of proceedings were entitled to receive free legal aid. All visitors, including Turkish Cypriots, were required to comply with the applicable rules and standards regarding prison visits. 99. Solitary confinement had ceased to be used as a measure of punishment. All lockups were registered and were used only to investigate incidents. Prevention policies and procedures had been established to deal with inter-prisoner violence and bullying. There had also been positive developments, resulting in the absence of suicides in the past three years. Complaints and allegations of ill-treatment of inmates by staff were immediately investigated by the police and the Prisons Department and inmates underwent systematic medical screening. 100. Police detention facilities had been significantly improved, resulting in advances in the quality of life of detainees and in their enjoyment of their rights. The Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights (Ombudsman), as the national mechanism on monitoring forced returns, and its officers had free access to police detention facilities without prior notification. The Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police investigated allegations of ill-treatment by the police, and in many instances criminal or disciplinary prosecutions were initiated. 101. With regard to hate and hate-motivated crimes, the Government implemented a zero-tolerance strategy for any discriminatory behaviour by police and prison staff. Police statistics on incidents and cases of a racial nature or with a racist motive were updated and published on an annual basis and were publicly available through the police website. The most recently updated data indicated that 60 per cent of all cases resulted in a conviction, which translated to a ratio of 9 convictions to 1 acquittal. 102. Cyprus was taking measures to ensure a pluralistic and vibrant media landscape. The authorities thoroughly investigated all reported cases of threats against journalists and appropriate action was taken. As for hate rhetoric over the Internet, most information technology companies had agreed with the European Union on a code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online. 103. The Philippines lauded the commitment of Cyprus to promote gender equality, advance the promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, combat trafficking in persons and address the impacts of climate change. 104. Poland welcomed efforts to address women’s rights and gender equality, as well as measures to combat gender discrimination in education. There was room for improvement, however, regarding support for and protection of victims of human trafficking. 105. Portugal commended measures to combat domestic violence and ensure women’s rights and gender equality. 106. Qatar appreciated measures to further promote the human rights of women through the adoption of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (2018–2021) and the preparation of a first national action plan on women, peace and security. 9