14 Establishment of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) was established in the spring of 2014. The NPM used the establishment phase to prepare effective implementation of the prevention mandate in accordance with the requirements in OPCAT. This included establishing an overview of places of detention, the definition of work methods and the drafting of documents such as visit handbooks, prioritisation criteria and the visit schedule for 2014. The NPM also initiated ­information and outreach measures. This is further described in chapters 5–7. Overview of places of detention The Optional Protocol gives the NPM a very broad mandate. The NPM is authorised to visit any place under the jurisdiction and control of the Norwegian authorities where persons are or may be deprived of their liberty,7 whether public or private. The mandate thus covers not only the forms of deprivation of liberty that may occur in institutions such as prisons, police custody facilities and psychiatric institutions, but also places like military camps, child welfare institutions, camps abroad which are under Norwegian control, nursing homes, housing for persons with developmental disabilities, and the immigration detention facility. Places where people stay temporarily, or which are mobile, are also included – such as the accident and emergency units when someone is there in the course of being deprived of their liberty (for example to receive treatment while in police custody or imprisoned). Means of transport used in connection with retention in police custody or deportation are included as well. In connection with the preparations for Norway’s ratification of the OPCAT and the resulting statutory amendment, an inter-ministerial working group compiled a report with a list of places of detention.8 It was emphasised that the list is not exhaustive. The working group’s report also included an overview of existing supervisory bodies and supervisory authorities. Based on the working group’s list, the NPM developed an updated and more detailed overview of all places of detention affected by the prevention mandate, and of the supervisory mechanisms for these places. This overview formed the basis for the priorities and the Overview of the number of places affected by the NPM’s prevention mandate Place Number Prisons and transitional housing Police custody facilities Police immigration detention facility (Trandum) approximately 210 1 Involuntary institutional treatment (Brøset) 1 Norwegian Armed Forces custody facilities Psychiatric institutions Nursing homes Child welfare institutions Housing for persons with developmental disabilities9 9 approximately 120 approximately 1,000 approximately 150 * visit schedule as of 2014. The overview will need to be quality assured and updated on an ongoing basis. Several sectors are undergoing changes and reorganisations. Moreover, units in certain sectors are very small – in some cases involving just one person – and in some units there will also be doubt as to whether the situation involves deprivation of liberty. These circumstances make it impossible to determine exact figures for all sectors. The places of detention affected by the prevention mandate are the responsibility of four ministries and four subordinate agencies, in addition to the Norwegian Armed Forces as represented by the Defence Staff. The NPM has also established an overview of and contact with the supervisory mechanisms for the different sectors affected by its mandate. These include the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision, the county governors, the supervisory boards for prisons, the psychiatric health care control commissions, the supervisory council for the police immigration detention facility at Trandum, and the central supervisory committee for police custody PLACES OF DETENTION Article 4.1 of the Optional Protocol defines places of detention as: “any place under (the state’s) jurisdiction and control where persons are or may be deprived of their liberty, either by virtue of an order given by a public authority or at its instigation or with its consent or acquiescence.” Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014 63