National Preventive Mechanism Second Annual Report 2010–11 In the coming year, IMBs will closely monitor a number of key areas, including the implications of National Health Service reform for prison health care and the impact of contractual difficulties between prisons and education providers on prisoners’ access to education. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England (OCC) also has a statutory power to visit YOIs. As part of a study on the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people in the youth justice system, OCC staff visited five YOIs in 2010–11.16 While a report of this study is to be published later in 2011, the OCC identified a number of issues which it sought to address immediately following the visits. It noted degrading practices relating to strip-searching, serious concerns about the frequency of restraint and the methods used, the poor condition of accommodation in some settings, the quality and quantity of food, arrangements for visits and the credibility and accessibility of complaints systems. As a result of these concerns, OCC carried out further visits to YOIs, as well as other establishments in the children’s secure estate, to examine safeguarding arrangements and the use of separation and restraint.17 Scotland Scotland’s 15 prisons are inspected by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS). Each prison also has a prison visiting committee, made up of volunteers from the local community whose role is analogous to that of Independent Monitoring Boards in the rest of the UK. The visiting committees are, however, not currently members of the NPM. In 2010–11, HMCIPS published inspection reports on three prisons – Glenochil, Peterhead and Addiewell – as well as a thematic review of arrangements for progressing prisoners from closed to open conditions. In the course of its inspections, HMCIPS assesses conditions, safety, respect, prisoners’ contact with the outside world, entitlements, activities, health care and reintegration. In relation to the conditions in which prisoners were being held, HMCIPS praised the physical environment at the newly built Addiewell but described the conditions at Peterhead as degrading. Peterhead is the only prison in Scotland where cells have no running water: prisoners use chemical toilets and wash their hands with water from pump-action flasks. HMCIPS found these arrangements to be clearly inadequate and was concerned about hygiene and infection control. Peterhead is an old prison and plans to replace it have long been discussed. While there is an intention to build a new prison on the same site, the current prison will remain for at least four more years. HMCIPS was concerned that the conditions 16 This study also involved visits to secure children’s homes and secure training centres, which are reported at page 32. 17 For additional information, see the section on children in secure accommodation at page 32. 22