Between October and December 2012, HMIP visited delegations of police officers from Ethiopia, human rights lawyers from Japan, and representatives of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee of the State of Ohio, USA and the Chilean Embassy. Where possible, HMIP facilitated inspection shadowing for these international visitors. In January 2013, HMIP began work with the Bahraini Ombudsman, the National Institute of Human Rights and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Bahrain, as part of a project to support the development of a NPM in Bahrain. A number of practice inspection visits to Bahraini detention facilities were organised, and training visits for members of the Ombudsman and National Institute of Human Rights to participate in HMIP inspections in the UK were also held. Supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, HMIP has operated independently of the government and has encouraged consultation with the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and the Association for the Prevention of Torture to promote adherence to international standards. Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visit In September 2012, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) made a seventh periodic visit to the UK. The CPT is a non-judicial preventive mechanism set up under the Council of Europe’s European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. It is a body made up of independent and impartial experts who serve in their individual capacity. The CPT organises visits to places of detention, in order to assess how persons deprived of their liberty are treated. CPT delegations have unlimited access to places of detention, and the right to move inside such places without restriction. They interview persons deprived of their liberty in private, and communicate freely with anyone who can provide information. The majority of the visit focused on detention facilities in Scotland, and in particular the CPT examined the conditions of detention of women prisoners, female young offenders, adult males on remand and those persons placed in segregation. It also visited a medium secure psychiatric facility and looked into the treatment of persons detained by the police. The delegation also visited two immigration removal centres in England. The CPT reported that they received excellent cooperation throughout their visit. NPM members, including HMIPS, supported and facilitated the visit. After each visit, the CPT sends a draft report to the State concerned and requests a detailed response to the issues raised. The report is then finalised after the State has the chance to respond. Reports can be made public on agreement of the State in question. At the time of writing, the report had not yet been made public22. 22 CPT reports and UK responses can be found at: http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/states/gbr.htm 31