Annual Report 2015 1 Context The Netherlands wants to prevent the degrading or inhuman treatment of persons placed in care or treated outside their own volition, detained in custody or restricted in their freedom by the government in any other way. In the framework of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) 1, several organisations have therefore been appointed as members of the "national preventive mechanism" (NPM) in the Netherlands. In this Annual Report over 2015 the NPM reports on the conditions of detention and the treatment of persons restricted in or deprived of their freedom. The NPM Annual Report is also submitted to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) of the United Nations. This Annual Report starts with describing the context of the NPM and its members. This is followed by a listing of the activities it performed. Next, the NPM draws attention to four themes relevant to its supervision and advisory functions. The Dutch National Preventive Mechanism The • • • • NPM of the Netherlands is made up of the following bodies: Inspectorate of Security and Justice (Inspectorate VenJ) 2 Health Care Inspectorate (IGZ) Inspectorate for Youth Care (IJZ) Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (RSJ) The additional associates include: • Commissions of Oversight for Penitentiary Institutions (CvT) 3 • Commissions of Oversight for Police Custody (CTA) 4 1 Article 3 of OPCAT obliges each State Party to "set up, designate or maintain [...] one or several visiting bodies for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". Those bodies that hold inspections domestically are referred to as the NPM. 2 The Inspectorate VenJ also serves as coordinator of the NPM network. 3 The Sounding Board Group of the Commissions of Oversight for Penitentiary Institutions represents these 4 The National Centre for the Commissions of Oversight for Police Custody represents these Commissions Commissions during NPM meetings. during NPM meetings. 4 Table of Cont