Section 9 of the Human Rights Commission Act No. 39 of 1996 mandates the Human Rights, inter alia, to visit prisons and places of detention or related facilities with a view to assessing and inspecting conditions of the persons held in such places and make recommendations to redress existing problems. During the visits, the Commission monitors compliance with the international standards as stipulated in the 1955 United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMRs). The SMRs constitute the international community’s agreed minimum standards on the treatment of prisoners, and contain, inter alia, rules on separation of categories of inmates, accommodation, personal hygiene, clothing and bedding, food, medical services, and discipline and punishment. Zambia subscribes to the SMRs by virtue of being a Member State of the United Nations.