The Institute of Therapy and Investigation into the Effects of Torture and State Violence () is a multidisciplinary non-governmental organisation based in Bolivia. It offers assistance to those affected directly or indirectly by torture and state violence through rehabilitative means. Since its founding in 2001 it has been the only organisation in Bolivia dedicated specifically to tackling the issues of torture and state violence. Profile ITEI accompanies people affected by torture and state violence through a process of rehabilitation and extends this treatment to the families and communities of those involved. The organisation is committed to creating a collective consciousness surrounding the psychological effects of torture and state violence through training and investigation. Its stated mission is "a socio-political commitment to the creation of a just society that respects human dignity". The work of ITEI focuses on the following individuals, families and communities: those affected by state torture and/or violence political refugees those who have returned from exile survivors of massacres relatives of those killed, detained or disappeared those affected by racism ITEI works under the definition of torture as defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Torture and State Violence under Bolivian Law On 12 April 1999 the Bolivian government signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture which recommended that "the Bolivian state incorporates into its penal legislation the definition of torture as it appears in the Convention, which considers it an offence and imposes sanctions proportionate to the severity of the crime". In December 2005 the Bolivian government signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, agreeing to establish a system of regular and unrestricted visits in places of detention with the aim of preventing torture and other cruel and inhumane acts. However, this has yet to become a reality and violence and torture has continued in Bolivia's prisons, as seen by the death in September 2007 of Justino Porco in Cantumarca Prison in Potosí, to cite one example. Article 15 (I) and Article 114 (I) of the Constitution of Bolivia recognise the right to life and physical integrity, stating that no one will suffer torture or cruel, inhumane, degrading or humiliating treatment, thus guaranteeing full protection to all those within the Bolivian state. Article 295 of the current Bolivian Penal Code sanctions those responsible for acts of torture with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for acts that result in the death