1 SUMMARY The Prison and Probation Service lacks appropriate premises One of the reasons why the Prison and Probation Service has great difficulty in achieving its objectives regarding the use of isolation-breaking measures is that the agency’s remand prisons lack sufficient premises where inmates can associate with one another. A further reason is that the staff tasked with working with, inter alia, isolation-breaking measures are deployed for other purposes and functions. In her decision in February 2020, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman states that the Prison and Probation Service must take a comprehensive approach to both the premises and staffing issues. The agency must ensure that both existing, as well as newly established remand prisons, have sufficient premises for inmates’ association and isolation-breaking measures, and that the staffing is sufficient for the remand prisons to be able to provide inmates with the opportunity to associate as well as isolation-breaking measures. In the opinion of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Prison and Probation Service’s difficulties are caused by, inter alia, that several of the agency’s remand prisons being designed to ensure that inmates are kept apart as opposed to being in association with one another. Another reason is the lack of staff designated to work in the communal spaces. In the opinion of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Prison and Probation Service deserves very serious criticism for its continued shortcomings in these respects, shortcomings that lead to restrictions of a fundamental right for inmates. Isolation-breaking measures Today, the Prison and Probation Service measures its work with isolation-breaking measures seven times a year. The Prison and Probation Service implements isolation-breaking measures for all inmates in remand prison, including inmates who already have a legal right of association. In her decision in February 2020, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman emphasises that, if the Prison and Probation Service satisfies these inmates’ rights of association with other inmates then there is no risk that these inmates will be isolated. To discuss isolation-breaking measures in such a context is therefore wrong. Such measures need only be implemented in relation to inmates who are segregated. In the opinion of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, it must be consi– 10 –