1 SUMMARY • In the opinion of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Prison and Probation Service must take a comprehensive approach to both the issues of premises and staffing. It is necessary for the agency to be able to offer inmates the ability to associate with one another and measures to break isolation. • The Prison and Probation Service should ensure that the reporting of isolation-breaking measures only includes time spent where inmates have meaningful human contact. • In the opinion of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, it is very important that the Prison and Probation Service develops a support system on site that makes it possible to follow the work with isolation-breaking measures over time. • There needs to be a review of, inter alia, the Remand Prisons Act in order to strengthen inmates’ rights of association with one another and counteract isolation. – 14 –