fundamental and human rights
�.� national preventive mechanism against torture
units. It has been emphasised that these units
should also inspect the operations of the police
prisons in their respective territories. Each year,
the National Police Board provides the Parliamentary Ombudsman with a report on the oversight
of legality within its area of responsibility.
The police operates 42 police prisons. Nine
of the prisons are only intended for short-term
custody. Police buildings are quite old, with the
majority having been built in the 1960s to 1980s.
Many of the buildings are at or near the end of
their service lives. A national renovation plan for
police prisons has been drawn up, but its implementation has been slow. The old buildings also
afford limited potential for modification. In addition, visits have shown that the temporary solutions adopted for the duration of renovations can
be quite unsatisfactory. Renovations can also radically increase the transport needs of persons deprived of their liberty.
In 2018, 13 inspection visits were made to police prisons. The visit to Pasila police prison also
included a visit of health care at the prison. Visits
are also made to the Ministry of the Interior’s Police Department and the National Police Board
each year. The NPM is in regular contact with
the units responsible for the oversight of legality
within the police force over matters such as the
themes and targets of visits and recent decisions
on complaints.
The sites visited were:
– Pasila police prison, 7 March 2018 and
22 March 2018, 94 cells, (849/2018)
– Pasila police prison health care, 7 March 2018
(1488/2018)
– Turku police prison, 17 April 2018, 71 cells, only
some of which are in use due to a renovation
(1963/2018)
– Kajaani police prison, 28 May 2018, 12 cells
(2485/2018)
– Iisalmi police prison, 29 May 2018, 19 cells
(2486/2018)
– Kuopio police prison, 29 May 2018, 31 cells
(2487/2018)
– Varkaus police prison, 30 May 2018, 16 cells
(2489/2018)
78
A cell at the Pasila Police Prison.
– Joensuu police prison, 30 May 2018, 48 cells
(2490/2018)
– Lahti police prison, 3 July 2018, 48 cells
(3332/2018)
– Jämsä police prison, 2 September 2018, 12 cells
(4390/2018)
– Saarijärvi police prison, 3 September 2018,
8 cells (4391/2018)
– Jyväskylä police prison, 3 September 2018,
8 cells in temporary facilities (4392/2018)
– Mänttä-Vilppula police prison, 4 September
2018, not in use (4393/2018)
– Tampere police prison, 4 September 2018,
62 cells, only some of which are in use due
to a renovation (4394/2018)
All visits of police detention facilities were unannounced. One visit (health care in Pasila police
prison) was attended by an external expert (specialist in forensic psychiatry). The visit to Jämsä
police prison took place on a Sunday, but the others were made on business days.
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