isolation of individuals held on remand 91 The Prison and Probation Service’s 2018 annual report states that it did not succeed in reaching the objective of at least two hours of human contact in relation to 83 percent of the remand prisoners held with restrictions. It did not reach this objective in relation to 76 percent of the young individuals held on remand with restrictions. The corresponding figure for adult remand prisoners held without restrictions or segregation decisions – and who have a legal right to associate with others during the day – was 33 percent. These inmates were, therefore, to be regarded as isolated and at risk of suffering from mental and physical ill health. In her decision in February 2020, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman states that the international reviews that have taken place of Swedish remand prisons have primarily focused on the widespread use of restrictions. The review that the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman has made shows that the problem of isolation in remand prisons is not limited to inmates that the Prison and Probation Service has the right to hold segregated. Isolation also risks affecting inmates who have a legal right to associate with others. The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman further states that this situation has not arisen suddenly, instead Sweden has received international criticism for several decades for, inter alia, holding remand prisoners in isolation. Additionally, these shortcomings have been highlighted by the Parliamentary Ombudsmen on several occasions. For this reason, it is – in the view of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman – very serious that the Prison and Probation Service has not progressed further in its work with the use of isolationbreaking measures. This entails a risk of serious consequences for those who are in the Prison and Probation Service’s remand prisons. The Prison and Probation Service lacks adequate premises One of the reasons why the Prison and Probation Service has great difficulty in achieving its objectives for the use of isolation-breaking measures is that its remand prisons do not have adequate premises where inmates can associate with others. Another reason is that the staff tasked with working with, inter alia, isolation-breaking measures are used for other purposes. In its decision in February 2020, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman states that the Prison and Probation Service needs to take a joined up approach to both the issues of premises and staffing. It must ensure that existing as well as newly produced remand prisons have adequate premises for association purposes and the use of isolation-breaking measures, and that the staffing is sufficient for the remand prisons to be able to offer inmates association time with others as well as isolation-breaking measures. In the view of the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Prison and Probation Service’s difficulties are caused by, inter alia, several of its remand prisons being designed to segregate inmates instead of allowing them to associate Individuals held on remand with, as well as without, restrictions are isolated