40 npm annual report 2016 /observations and recommendations and arrange personal matters. The requests had been unanswered or denied. Remand prisoners told that they had been unable to call their families to let them know that they were imprisoned in Finland (Mikkeli). • Based on discussions with supervisory staff, the prison personnel had not been provided with training on dealing with prisoners who need special support. The flow of information between the supervisory and health care staff was also considered a problem due to confidential regulations. The Deputy-Ombudsman noted that attending to inmates with special needs is difficult, particularly because the supervisory staff have not received relevant training. The Deputy-Ombudsman recommended that the prison should actively contact the Prisoners’ Health Care Unit whenever there is a need for guidance and training on these matters. Confidential regulations do not prevent the disclosure of information if the health care unit asks prisoners to give their written consent to the disclosure of their personal information (Kylmäkoski). • The visit supported the view that the prison had succeeded in creating problem-free relations between Roma prisoners and prisoners from the majority population. This is not the case in many other prisons (Kylmäkoski). Lack of time and activities outside the cell Almost without exception, closed prisons contain units where the prisoners are forced to remain inactive in their cells the best part of the day without an acceptable reason stated in the law. Acceptable justifications for keeping a prisoner in isolation may include safety measures or isolation as a disciplinary sanction, which are relatively short-term situations. In the worst cases, isolation and inactivity mean that a prisoner is placed in a special unit for a lengthy period without justification. In addition to lack of activity, the problem in this case is that the unit is not intended for actual residential use, and the conditions in it are thus not suitable for long-term living. On visits, attention is usually paid to the prisoners’ possibilities of spending time outside their cells and participating in meaningful activities. Prisons have been informed of the fact that keeping prisoners inactive in their cells is unacceptable and unlawful. This problem mainly stems from lack of resources in prisons, rather than ignorance of the regulations or unwillingness to organise activities for the prisoners. • When conducting an inspection in a prison, the Central Administration of the Criminal Sanctions Agency had drawn the prison’s attention to the need to improve the operation of units with the strictest security by extending the hours during which the prisoners can leave their cells and developing and extending activities indicated by the prisoners’ needs. As the Central Administration was planning a follow-up inspection of the prison in question, it was asked to report on the action taken (Mikkeli).