National Preventive Mechanism Eighth Annual Report 2016–17 Introduction by John Wadham NPM Chair This has been my first full year as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) chair and, having shadowed our members as they visit and inspect places of detention across the UK, I remain very impressed by the dedication, experience and professionalism of members’ staff and volunteers. The United Nations’ Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) provides us with a crucial framework to strengthen our work monitoring places of detention, and it encourages us to focus even more carefully on preventing ill‑treatment in practice. UK NPM members have very sophisticated methodologies and well-embedded practices to deliver on the promise of OPCAT but, at the same time, OPCAT reminds us that the risk of ill-treatment is always present, and every year we must continue to renew our efforts to perform our essential preventive role. It is unfortunate that this year, as in previous years, examples of ill-treatment continue to surface. We must recognise that however successful we are, we cannot do this work alone; we need to welcome the parallel roles undertaken by lawyers for detained people, dedicated non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media in exposing malpractice in the institutions we visit and inspect. 4 Unfortunately this year NPM members have to report that: • as in previous years, we observed a significant decline in outcomes for male prisoners in England and Wales. Overall levels of violence continued to rise in prisons and significantly more prisoners reported that they felt unsafe, with many prisoners observed to be self-segregating to avoid violence; • there is clear evidence that children who continue to be imprisoned are increasingly vulnerable. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI Prisons) concluded in February 2017 that no establishment that it inspected in England and Wales was safe to hold children; • conditions of detention were often poor across places of detention, including mental health wards, prisons and police and court custody; • more needed to be done to address the mental health needs of those detained, both in the criminal justice and health systems; and • there were a significant number of deaths in detention during the year, including of young people.