3 Preface Since 2011, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen has discharged the duties as National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in accordance with the UN’s Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). A principle task of this role is to conduct inspections of locations where individuals are, or may be, deprived of their liberty. During the first three and a half years (2011–2014), the OPCAT unit focused on developing strategies for the inspection activity. In addition to this, a large number of inspections were made at locations where individuals were deprived of their liberty, which had not previously been inspected by the Parliamentary Ombudsmen. Observations during this build up phase were presented in a report in 2016. This report forms a summary of observations made during inspections between 2015–2017. The development on various strategies continues as the unit also focus efforts on following up previous inspections. Such inspections have proved to be an important tool to realize how the recommendations of the ombudsmen have been received by the authorities. The development of new strategies has also led the Parliamentary Ombudsmen to ask authorities to report back on certain matters, over the past few years. An example of this is the report I requested from the Prison and Probation Service regarding how the authority works on measures to reduce segregation for individuals in remand prisons. The unit has also focused on developing new procedures during 2015–2017 by targeting a thematic work process. In 2015, the unit focused on women deprived of their liberty, in 2016 on providing information to individuals deprived of their liberty and in 2017 on supervision of individuals deprived of their liberty. Through this thematic focus, the unit put emphasis on one or several issues. The OPCAT unit’s theme for 2018–2019 is transportation of individuals deprived of their liberty. During early 2019, OPCAT will publish a report on observations made in 2018. I can state that, during the years that the Parliamentary Ombudsmen has discharged the duties as NPM, we have performed more than 150 inspections of locations where individuals are deprived of their liberty. Locations inspected have been varied, from large psychiatric clinics and prison establishments to youth facilities and small police custody facilities. The location’s operations differ greatly in regards to environment, rules, and regulations, but the inspections have consistently shown that there are important preventive measures for the authorities to take. That the unit’s work leads to result is concluded in the improvement measures in, e.g., the report that the Parliamentary Ombudsmen requests from the authorities. Through the wide range of the inspection activity and the thematic focus, the OPCAT unit has collected meaningful knowledge and directed its attention on the special issues that concern the conditions for individuals deprived of their liberty. The aim of this report is to collectively report on knowledge gathered and lessons learned. Elisabeth Rynning Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman