Section two The NPM in 2019–20 Positively, HMICFRS reports that Code C of the PACE Codes of Practice changed in part as a result of the thematic findings from both HMICFRS and Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA). Code C sets out the requirements for the detention, treatment and questioning of subjects. HMICFRS reported that its findings from the police custody inspection programme were influential, alongside the work of ICVA which campaigned to highlight concerns, in informing the changes to the PACE Code of Practice in relation to detainee care, specifically meeting the needs of women and girls held in police custody. In August 2019, HMICFRS published its inaugural inspection of nationwide TACT facilities, in collaboration with HMI Prisons and ICVA (see ‘Police and court custody’, p.57, for more detail). Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) carried out a focused inspection on the strategic arrangements for police custody during the reporting year.192 In 2019, HMICS updated its inspection framework and custody inspection framework, incorporating changes that strengthened its commitment to prevent torture and ill-treatment for people in detention. HMICS continued to contribute to the NPM’s Scottish sub-group and police sub-group. In the reporting year, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Prisons in Scotland (HMIPS) carried out three court custody unit (CCU) inspections which also scrutinised the vans used to transport detainees to and from prison. HMIPS recently increased the frequency with which it carries out CCU visits and developed new quality indicators for transport inspections. HMIPS also carried out four prison inspections and a return inspection to HMP Grampian. One inspection was to HMP Barlinnie, which was criticised by the CPT during its 2018 visit. In particular, the CPT stated that keeping prisoners in HMP Barlinnie’s reception holding cells – colloquially termed ‘dog boxes’ – could amount to ill-treatment. In the report to its follow-up inspection, HMIPS called on the Scottish Government to urgently re-model the reception area in the prison.193 A key part of HMIPS is its Independent Prison Monitoring team. Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs) are volunteers from the community who visit each prison in Scotland every week. In the reporting year, IPMs conducted 948 monitoring visits and handled 1,047 prisoner requests. In total, volunteers dedicated 4,636 hours of their time to monitoring prisons in Scotland. In 2020, HMIPS conducted a survey of prisoners to review the ways in which prisoners can contact IPMs and improve IPM information sharing processes. 192 HMIPS, June 2019, Inspection of the strategic arrangements for the delivery of police custody, https://www.hmics.scot/ sites/default/files/publications/HMICS20190606PUB.pdf [accessed 27/08/2020] 193 HMICS, May 2020, HMP Barlinnie: Full inspection – 26 August – 6 September 2019, https://www. prisonsinspectoratescotland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publication_files/Report%20on%20HMP%20Barlinnie%20-%20 26-August-6%20September%202019%20-%20Final.pdf [accessed 27/08/2020] 67