general observations in connection with inspections were received in the remand premises. The detainees were not able to look out from the windows of their residential rooms nor could they benefit from daylight in the walking yard. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen maintained its opinion that the premises are unsuitable.20 Similar deficiencies were noted during the inspection of the remand centre in Halmstad and the Parliamentary Ombudsmen urged the Prison and Probation Service to consider the appropriateness of continuing to place individuals on remand in the premises in question.21 In spring 2018, the Halmstad remand centre was closed and the Prison and Probation Service decided, in 2016, to build a new remand prison in Östersund. According to the plans, the new remand prison will be put into operation in spring 2020 and, while awaiting this, the Prison and Probation Service will continue to place remand detainees in the police custody facilities in Östersund. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen has criticised the fact that the remand operation has been conducted in police custody facilities for a long time. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen has also stated that the remand prison should cease and not be resumed in its current form until there are suitable premises.22 Migration detainees In 2017, seven remand prisons were inspected in order to illustrate, among other things, the conditions for detained aliens, placed within the prison service. The general rule is that detainees should be placed pursuant to the Aliens Act at detention centres administrated by the Migration Agency. The authority may, however, decide that an isolated detinee should be placed in a remand prison or prison establishment if he or she cannot stay in one of the Migration Agency’s detention centres, for safety reasons (so-called safety placements). During the 2017 inspection period, approximately 80 detainees were placed with the Prison and Probation Service pursuant to the Aliens Act. A detainee who has been placed at a Prison and Probation Service facility should have the same right to contact the outside world as persons placed at a Migration detention centre. This means that they are entitled to unlimited and uncontrolled use of a mobile phone and access to computers with an internet connection. They must also have the option of uncontrolled visits. As a result of the Prison and Probation Service’s operations being adapted to accept individuals suspected of, or who have been convicted of, committing a crime, it has proved difficult to adapt the operation to the needs of the detained persons and accommodate their rights. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen has previously stated that it is inappropriate to place detainees with detainees 20 Ref. no. 872-2016. 21 Ref. no. 582-2017. 22 The Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s decision of 30 August 2018, ref. no. 1387-2017. 29 The Parliamentary Ombudsmen has directed criticism towards the Prison and Probation Service for using the police custody facilities in Östersund as a remand prison. According to the Parliamentary Ombudsmen, police custody facilities are not a suitable place for remand prisoners.