NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN National Preventive Mechanism ANNUAL REPORT 2020 68 Activities in 2020 Talks, lectures and participation on panels in Norway WHEN ACTIVITY 11 March Lecture for bachelor’s degree students at the University College of Norwegian Correctional Service (KRUS) on solitary confinement and inmates’ mental health. 28 August Talk at the meeting of the Norwegian Correctional Service, Region East, on the Correctional Service’s proposed measures for reducing and preventing solitary confinement. 11 September Lecture for students on supplementary education for psychology specialists, on human rights, coercion in mental healthcare and the work of NPM. 6 October Participation in a panel debate at the House of Literature in Oslo organised by Jussbuss: Body searches in Norwegian prisons. 16 November Lecture on the prohibition of torture for law students at the University of Oslo, organised by Amnesty law group. 20 November Talk as part of a webinar for the control commissions in mental healthcare concerning findings and recommendations after visits to three mental healthcare institutions for children and adolescents. 16 December Norwegian Correctional Service’s conference on solitary confinement, talk on the follow-up of the Ombudsman’s Special Report to the Storting on solitary confinement in Norwegian prisons, and on reports pertaining to COVID-19 measures and the use of restraint beds in Norwegian prisons. Meetings, visits and participation at seminars in Norway (including national webinars) WHEN ACTIVITY 14 January Public hearing in the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, on the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s Special Report to the Storting concerning solitary confinement and lack of human contact in Norwegian prisons. 17 January Publication of the Ombudsperson for Children's report “De tror vi er shitkids” [They call us shitkids] on children who live in child welfare institutions. 21 January Publication of the book “Isolasjon – et fengsel i fengselet” [Solitary confinement – a prison within the prison] by Marthe Rua and Peter Scharff Smith (Ed.). 3–4 February Conference “Vondt inni seg” [The pain inside] organised by Forandringsfabrikken, on mental health assistance for children and adolescents. 7 February Meeting with Bufetat Region East concerning the authorisation and control of child welfare institutions, and principal challenges in institutionalised child welfare. 27 February Publication of the Red Cross report “Torturert og glemt? Identifisering og rehabilitering av torturofre i Norge” [Tortured and forgotten? The identification and rehabilitation of torture victims in Norway]