National Preventive Mechanism Ninth Annual Report 2017–18 In Northern Ireland, the use of custody as a place of safety increased significantly, with 19 detentions under Article 130(1) of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, compared with five in 2016–17. Immigration detention HMI Prisons reported findings and recommendations from two inspections of immigration removal centres during the year, noting varied outcomes between the two centres. Improvements were seen at Yarl’s Wood, where outcomes for detainees were at least reasonably good. However, for the third consecutive inspection, Harmondsworth failed to provide acceptable outcomes in relation to safety and respect. As reported in last year’s NPM annual report, the quality of rule 35 reports had again improved, although, as in the previous year, a number of reports provided inadequate information to decision makers. Only 10% of rule 35 reports at Harmondsworth and about 30% of reports at Yarl’s Wood led to release, leading HMI Prisons to report concerns about the number of people who continued to be detained despite professional evidence that they had been tortured. Although approximately two-thirds of people were detained for less than a month, HMI Prisons continued to report examples of people detained for significant periods of time, including four-and-a-half years in one case at Harmondsworth. Brook House In September 2017 the BBC broadcast a programme on Brook House, an immigration removal centre (IRC) next to Gatwick Airport, run by the contractor G4S on behalf of the Home Office.16 The programme showed apparent ill-treatment of detainees, including violent and threatening behaviour by some staff towards detainees. In response, several members of staff were suspended and investigations were begun by G4S, the government and police. Prior to the conclusion of those investigations, NPM members raised concerns about whether such treatment could be occurring in other centres. HMI Prisons therefore employed an enhanced inspection methodology at a subsequent inspection of Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, including offering an interview to all detainees and providing all staff the opportunity to complete a confidential online survey. HMI Prisons will continue to use similar enhanced methodologies where it has heightened concerns about the safety of those held in immigration detention. Inspections of non-residential short-term holding facilities generally found adequate conditions for those detained for short periods. However, some concerns were reported, including lengthy detention without access to shower and sleeping facilities, and detainees being escorted in handcuffs in public view at both Luton and Stansted Airports. HMI Prisons published one report of an inspection of an overseas escort on a chartered flight to Jamaica, which highlighted concerns about excessive use of restraints, including the use of waist restraint 16 BBC, Panorama, ‘Undercover: Britain’s immigration secrets’, broadcast 4 September 2017. 18