SUMMARY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMEN’S CONCLUSIONS 8.3 Physical distance 8 8.4 Inmates belonging to an at-risk group The strategy chosen by Sweden to limit the spread of Covid-19 is largely based on everyone taking individual responsibility and, among other things, keeping a physical distance from other people. In their investigations, each Parliamentary Ombudsman has found that it has been difficult for inmates and staff to maintain an acceptable physical distance in secure environments. During the investigation of the Prison and Probation Service, it was found that the agency continued to double-occupy cells during the current pandemic. Parliamentary Ombudsman Katarina Påhlsson stated that she believed that the Prison and Probation Service should take immediate measures to ensure that there is no double-occupancy of cells where it is not possible to maintain the necessary physical distance. Parliamentary Ombudsman Per Lennerbrant also raised this issue, stating that, provided the Swedish Migration Board took the necessary measures to enable detainees to maintain a physical distance, it should not be excluded that detainees are able to share living spaces during an ongoing pandemic. However, it became clear during the investigation that both staff and detainees If detainees can main- found it difficult to maa physical distance tain a physical distance, intain from others in the detenthey should be able to tion centre. In the opinion share living areas of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Swedish Migration Board needed to consider these details and, for example, seek support from the different regions for assessments of what – from a disease control perspective – is an acceptable number of inmates in, for example, a residential room or how physical distance can be maintained in other ways. For people belonging to an at-risk group, Covid-19 infection and the onset of illness can have serious consequences. The Prison and Probation Service developed procedures for handling this category of inmates at an early stage. In her decision, Parliamentary Ombudsman Katarina Påhlsson made statements regarding how the agency had applied the procedures. She stated that the Prison and Probation Service needed to have a longterm view in its planning for the handling of this group of inmates. When Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman Elisabeth Rynning began her investigation of the National Board of Forensic MedSome agencies have lackicine, the agency lacked a specific routine for ed routines for handling the handling of inmates people deprived of their in at-risk groups. After liberty who belong to a the issue had been rairisk group sed at the final dialogue meeting, the National Board of Forensic Medicine’s management announced that the agency had adopted such a routine. The investigations of the Swedish Migration Board and the National Board of Institutional Care also highlighted a lack of agency-wide procedures. However, one of the Swedish Migration Board’s detention centres had adopted a local routine, and Parliamentary Ombudsman Per Lennerbrant stated that it was reasonable to require the agency to take measures which ensured that the routine was applied in all detention centres. Parliamentary Ombudsman Thomas Norling called on the National Board of Institutional Care to develop procedures for the handling of this group of inmates. – 63 –