22 Visits to places of detention • Physical conditions During visits, the NPM inspects the premises and surveys the conditions experienced by persons deprived of their liberty, including access to daylight and outdoor areas, opportunities for physical activity, the design of rooms or cells (including security cells and similar spaces), common areas, the condition of the buildings, general cleanliness and nutrition. Visits in 2014 In 2014, the NPM made five visits to four places where persons are deprived of their liberty. Two of the visits were to prisons (Tromsø prison and Bergen prison), while three were to police custody facilities (two visits to Tønsberg police custody and one visit to Drammen police custody). Four of the visits were announced and one was unannounced. The current number of completed visits provides a limited basis for drawing conclusions as to systemic challenges in these two sectors. Nevertheless, the visits that have been completed do provide a foundation for some preliminary considerations when combined with information obtained through dialogue with responsible ministries and subordinate agencies, educational institutions, existing administrative supervisory bodies, civil society organisations and academic experts. During the visits to the two prisons, it was found that high occupancy and building- and staffing-related challenges resulted in increased isolation and limited opportunities for communal activities. A further consequence was that fewer activities were being organised for inmates. Moreover, the NPM’s impression thus far is that female inmates face less satisfactory conditions than male inmates. The NPM has also reached the preliminary conclusion that there is a lack of clear central guidelines in areas in which the exercise of power is highly intrusive. Procedures for the use of security cells and restraining beds, and for body searches and clothing in security cells in prisons and holdings cells in police custody facilities, appear to be such areas. The preliminary findings also indicate that several prisons, including one of those visited, have adopted local solutions involving cells equipped as security cells but lacking the necessary approval from the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service. Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014 Since police custody facilities are unsuited for longer stays, the NPM has focused on the difficulties associated with complying with the 48-hour deadline for transfer to prison. The Parliamentary Ombudsman has expressed concern for several years at the number of extended stays. Unfortunately, long stays in police custody facilities appear to be a growing problem in several places, not least due to a lack of prison capacity. The NPM has also gained the impression that the buildings in which police custody facilities are located, spartan furnishings and, in some cases, unsuitable locations make it difficult to comply with the fundamental need of persons in police custody to see daylight and engage in physical activity. The police custody facilities visited by the NPM are both located in the middle of smaller cities, and both lack suitable outdoor spaces. The NPM also noted that the police districts often adopt relatively voluminous local official instructions. Although the NPM did not find any unlawful rules in these local instructions, they do appear to differ rather widely from district to district. This may give grounds for concern. The visit reports for the places visited by the NPM in 2014 are available on the NPM’s website.