fundamental and human rights �.� national preventive mechanism against torture ment Act should be translated into English for distribution to prisoners. According to information received from the Ministry of Justice, the translations have been completed and are available in Finlex. The Criminal Sanctions Agency has been requested to ensure that foreign prisoners are informed of their rights through the translations. When interviewed, foreign prisoners describe similar issues as other prisoners, i.e. that visiting rights are not fulfilled or that living in a closed unit causes anxiety. On the other hand, fewer foreign prisoners have complaints about the behaviour of prison officers. In 2018, the Criminal Sanctions Agency announced on its website that it has published multi-lingual orientation materials. In connection with this, a video guide for new prisoners was published in five languages. The objective is for the video to provide prisoners with sufficient basic information on their rights and term of sentence and the operation of a closed institution in their own language. Helsinki Prison was not aware of these materials at the time of the NPM’s visit in November, so the NPM did not have the opportunity to investigate the prisoners’ experiences of the video guide. Prisoner transport by train The prisoner transport route starts in Helsinki and ends in Oulu. The duration of the trip is nearly nine hours. In addition to this, prisoners joining the transport at the station of departure are brought into the train approximately one hour before its departure, so prisoners can spend up to ten hours on the train. The NPM travelled on the train for approximately one hour, from Helsinki to Lahti. Four prisoners were interviewed during the inspection visit. At that time, the total number of prisoners being transported was five. The information on the potability of the water drawn from cell taps was contradictory. The Deputy-Ombudsman found cause to investigate the potability of the water drawn from cell taps. If nothing else, the quality of the water should be investi- gated for the reason that the cars have been in use for approximately 35 years. According to the Deputy-Ombudsman, the cells should have notices for the prisoners on the potability of the tap water. Furthermore, the Deputy-Ombudsman stated that the prisoners must absolutely be informed of the availability of drinking water, whether from the tap or a bottle. In any event, the prisoners’ access to drinking water during the trip must be rectified immediately, if necessary by purchasing bottled water. This must be communicated clearly enough and also with due consideration of prisoners who do not speak and/or understand Finnish. The Criminal Sanctions Agency reported that bottled water had been acquired for the prisoners as a stop-gap measure and a notice on the matter was being drawn up. The notice also states that the tap water should not be drunk as its potability is under investigation. This notice for prisoner car passengers will be drawn up in eight languages. The Deputy-Ombudsman found the practice that prisoners had to use the toilets in the presence of other prisoners to be degrading of their human dignity. The practice is also a serious violation of the prisoners’ right to privacy. In addition to the prisoner using the toilet, the practice is demeaning for the other prisoners in the cell, taking into account the cramped conditions and poor ventilation. The screen envisioned in the Criminal Sanctions Agency’s statement does not change these circumstances. The Deputy-Ombudsman found no cause to doubt the guards’ account of prisoners being permitted to use the toilet in private upon request. However, a situation in which the prisoners are not aware of this possibility is equivalent to a situation in which the possibility does not exist. The opportunity must be communicated clearly enough and also with due consideration of prisoners who do not speak and/or understand Finnish. The Criminal Sanctions Agency stated that it had begun drawing up a notice to be posted on the wall of the prisoner car, indicating that prisoners could ask the guards to be permitted to go to the toilet privately. In the future, this information will also be communicated verbally to all prisoners being transported. 89