THE NELSON MANDELA RULES 25 who have recourse to force must use no more than is strictly necessary and must report the incident immediately to the prison director. 2. Prison staff shall be given special physical training to enable them to restrain aggressive prisoners. 3. Except in special circumstances, prison staff performing duties which bring them into direct contact with prisoners should not be armed. Furthermore, prison staff should in no circumstances be provided with arms unless they have been trained in their use. Internal and external inspections Rule 83 1. There shall be a twofold system for regular inspections of prisons and penal services: (a) Internal or administrative inspections conducted by the central prison administration; (b) External inspections conducted by a body independent of the prison administration, which may include competent international or regional bodies. 2. In both cases, the objective of the inspections shall be to ensure that prisons are managed in accordance with existing laws, regulations, policies and procedures, with a view to bringing about the objectives of penal and corrections services, and that the rights of prisoners are protected. Rule 84 1. Inspectors shall have the authority: (a) To access all information on the numbers of prisoners and places and locations of detention, as well as all information relevant to the treatment of prisoners, including their records and conditions of detention; (b) To freely choose which prisons to visit, including by making unan­ nounced visits at their own initiative, and which prisoners to interview; (c) To conduct private and fully confidential interviews with prisoners and prison staff in the course of their visits; (d) To make recommendations to the prison administration and other competent authorities.