Visits in 2018
Many complained of too much isolation and too little
activation in the A-vest and A-øst sections. Although
the inmates in A-øst have a better activity programme
than was the case during the 2014 visit, the section
still makes extensive use of isolation. A number of
inmates are still in the section for long periods without
an administrative decision on isolation being made.
It emerged during the visit that Bergen Prison
regularly had inmates with such severe mental
disorders and low level of functioning that they were
generally unable to be part of the ordinary prison
community. These inmates risked being excluded
in section A-vest for long periods of time. The NPM
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takes a very serious view of the situation in which
individuals with mental health problems are subject to
long-term isolation. The Norwegian authorities have a
duty to ensure that inmates with mental illness who
are detained in prisons are not subjected to degrading
or inhuman treatment.
During the visit in 2018, the NPM was informed
that inmates were more often locked in their cells as a
result of a shortage of resources than was the case in
2014. The reasons for this included new supervision
procedures in the communal sections B and C. The
NPM is still concerned about the staffing situation
in Bergen Prison’s communal sections.
Bergen Prison
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