1 SUMMARY 1 Summary Since 2017, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s work under Opcat have had a special focus on the situation for inmates in the Prison and Probation Service’s remand prisons. In addition to conducting a number of inspections of remand prisons, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman has held a dialogue meeting with representatives of the Prison and Probation Service. At the meeting, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman addressed issues concerning inmates’ rights of association with other inmates and the Prison and Probation Service’s work with the use of isolation-breaking measures. The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman commented upon these issues in a decision on 5 February 2020. Inmates in remand prisons have a right of association with others An inmate has the right to associate with other inmates during the day. In the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman’s opinion, this means that an inmate has the right to associate with several other inmates. This fundamental right can be limited by both prosecutors’ restrictions and/or a decision to segregate an inmate. A denied right of association with other inmates may result in the inmate being isolated, or as often referred to in international standards, held in conditions amounting to solitary confinement. Isolation can lead to both mental and physical problems. Solitary confinement is defined as the confinement of an inmate for more than 22 hours a day without meaningful human contact. An inmate is considered as being the subject of prolonged solitary confinement if he or she has been isolated for a period exceeding 15 days. The majority of inmates in Swedish remand prisons are held in conditions amounting to solitary confinement The Prison and Probation Service has great difficulty in achieving its own objective that inmates with restrictions should have the opportunity for two hours of isolation-breaking measures per day. In addition, the agency does not fully achieve this objective in relation to inmates without restrictions who have a right of association with other inmates during the day. The Prison and –8–