Visits to places of detention POLICE CUSTODY FACILITIES Tønsberg police custody (14 and 20 October) The NPM visited Tønsberg police station on 14 and 20 October 2014. The station contains the primary police custody facility for Vestfold Police District, and has a total of 13 ordinary cells. Vestfold Police District was alerted to the first visit four weeks in advance, and was asked to submit information. Because few detainees were present during the visit on 14 October, a second visit was carried out on 20 October, this time without prior notice. Both visits were well facilitated by the police administration and other staff. The overall impression is that the custody facility is solidly run. The senior officers appear to play an active role in custody operations and in protecting the rights of detainees. The announced visit began with a meeting with the police administration, followed by an inspection of the premises, document review and private conversations with detainees. NPM representatives also held meetings with a doctor at Tønsberg’s inter-municipal accident and emergency unit and with the head the local emergency child welfare service. The visits concluded with a meeting with the police administration who were informed of findings and preliminary recommendations. During the visit, the NPM examined with extra care the police’s handling of serious incidents and use of force. A detainee who was in custody at Tønsberg police custody at the time of the visit on 20 October took his own life the same night in a cell at Ringerike prison, where he had been transferred that afternoon. The NPM asked questions about information flow and cooperation between the police and the correctional services in this case. The case was also followed up on ­during a visit to Ringerike prison in January 2015. A challenge is that high occupancy in prisons makes transfer difficult. Close cooperation between the police and the emergency child welfare service is a positive example of a measure that has kept minors out of police custody. As for measures designed to ease the time spent in custody, certain points of improvement were demonstrated. The police have a low threshold for taking detained persons to the accident and emergency unit, which is very positive. However, information was obtained which raised concerns about the unit’s handling of its confidentiality duties, its forensic role and the use of interpreters. The NPM also undertook an inspection of the custody facility, including the garage that served as an exercise yard. It was found that all cells lacked direct daylight and clocks, and that several cells featured poor artificial lighting. In some cells there was little colour contrast between the walls and the floor, a factor that could weaken a detainee’s orientation ability. In private conversations with the NPM, some of the detainees described claustrophobic feelings and anxiety that they specifically tied to the physical conditions. The custody facility’s lack of a suitable place where detainees can get fresh air exacerbates matters. One of the cells was furnished to accommodate the needs of especially vulnerable detainees, such as minors and those who have been in detention for more than two days. This cell was identified as a positive example of how custody cells can be given a more humane design. Certain deficiencies were noted in the recordkeeping of supervisory control and observation measures. There were indications that body searches were performed regularly. The NPM also examined efforts by the police to ensure transfer to prison within two days. The police appeared to have sound procedures for clarifying the division of responsibilities on this issue at an early stage. However, figures from 2014 show that some detainees had remained in police custody for very long periods – more than three days in 11 cases, and more than four days in four cases. This is worrying. Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014 25