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The security cells at Åna Prison were physically
separate from the other sections. The cells' location
in the cellar meant that the inmates had to be moved
hundreds of metres and down one or more floors. The
long distance and narrow stairwell access meant that
the staff had, on occasion, used a goods trolley if the
inmate was heavy or had put up a lot of resistance.
The goods trolley is considered a degrading and
unsuitable means of transporting inmates. Both
the design and length of the trolley constitute an
increased risk of personal injury.
A review of use-of-force records from 1 January 2016
to 20 September 2017 showed that around 35 per cent
of all placements in security cells were due to a risk of
suicide or self-harm. The staff stated that the threshold
for using a security cell in connection with suicide risk was
relatively low. This was explained as being due to limited
staff resources, and little possibility to increase supervision
through a greater staff presence in the communal
sections. Both the records and interviews with inmates
who had spent time in a security cell showed that many
of them had felt abandoned and that they had felt a keen
need for more contact with the staff.
Åna Prison
NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN
National Preventive Mechanism
ANNUAL REPORT 2017
The health service was routinely informed about admissions to security cells or the use of restraint beds.
Hå accident and emergency unit was notified outside
office hours. Inmates confined to restraint beds or
security cells were not seen by health personnel
outside office hours. This situation could continue
for several days at weekends and during holidays.
The Ombudsman regards the lack of follow-up by
health personnel outside office hours as a matter of
grave concern.
Compared with the other prisons the NPM has visited,
Åna Prison excludes a very high number of inmates from
company pursuant to Section 37 of the Execution of
Sentences Act. Åna appears to have a high number of
exclusions based on the wishes of the inmates themselves
and due to circumstances relating to prison premises
and staffing. The Ombudsman is concerned about the
apparently high exclusion figures at Åna Prison, and
particularly the high prevalence of self-isolation. Both
inmates and staff complained about the lack of activities
for those fully excluded from company, which was said to
be a result of a shortage of staff. It is a cause for concern
that a low staffing level means that inmates are isolated
in their cells without the prison providing activity and
meaningful human contact.
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