the national board of institutional care residential departments were worn and sparse with graffiti on the walls, and that some common areas lacked furniture because they had been broken by individuals. The young persons’ living areas often contained many items and were messy.23 The Parliamentary Ombudsman reiterated that the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has stated that places where young people are held deprived of their liberty must be adequately furnished and decorated in a way that provides adequate visual stimuli. For this reason, the Parliamentary Ombudsman recommended that the National Board of Institutional Care takes measures that contribute to the premises being adequately and pleasantly furnished while at the same time the risk of vandalism is handled.24 59 Places where young people are deprived of their liberty must be adequately furnished Overnight stay at the National Board of Institutional Care institutions in connection with transportations During the inspection of the special residential home for substance abusers Gudhemsgården, it emerged that the home received individuals from other residential homes for substance abusers for overnight stays during transportations. Following the inspection, the Parliamentary Ombudsman emphasised that it is preferable if individuals can spend the night at the National Board of Institutional Care’s institutions rather than in, for example, a remand prison. A remand prison is set up for a completely different purpose than an institution operated by the National Board of Institutional Care, and remand prison staff usually do not have the same experience as the National Board of Institutional Care’s staff do in taking care of individuals.25 The Parliamentary Ombudsman has previously stated that, from a medical and humanitarian perspective, a remand prison is an inadequate place to detain individuals deprived of their liberty with care needs. Remand prisons should, therefore, only be used for detaining individuals with these needs for a very limited period of time.26 During the inspection of the special residential home for substance abusers, staff stated that it only helps to arrange overnight stays at other institutions operated by the National Board of Institutional Care for individuals who are deemed to be at risk of self-harm. In other cases, the entire responsibility for planning the transportation is handed over to the Prison and Probation Service (National Transport Unit). Following the inspection, the Parliamentary Ombudsman stated that, in the inquiry’s report that preceded the introduction of the current transportation provisions, the government inquiry emphasised that agencies requesting assisted transportations in accordance with, for example, the Care of Substance Abusers Act (1988:870), bear a responsibility 23 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report p. 5 and 6, ref. no. O 44-2019. 24 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report p. 21, ref. no. O 44-2019. 25 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report p. 17, ref. no. O 58-2019. 26 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen 2013/14 p. 249. From a medical and humanitarian perspective, a remand prison is an inadequate place to detain individuals in need of care