2 Supervisory activities The Netherlands wants to prevent the degrading or inhuman treatment of persons who involuntary are cared for or treated, are detained or deprived of their liberty by the government in the Netherlands. The NPM was established to ensure this. Supervisory activities within the NPM network are carried out by the three Inspectorates and the three different commissions of oversight. The three Inspectorates each supervise their own field of supervision under sectorial legislation. Where the fields of supervision overlap, the Inspectorates collaborate closely. This manifests itself in the joint handling of emergencies, conducting joint research and joint reports. In their supervision, the Inspectorates use assessment frameworks that are drawn up in advance. The principles of prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are incorporated in the assessment frameworks of the Inspectorates participating in the NPM network by default. The Commissions of oversight for penitentiary institutions have been provided with various auxiliaries by the RSJ, allowing for their oversight to come to have a preventive nature. These auxiliaries explicitly refer to, or embed, regulations, both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ law, concerning human rights. These documents include: • the note ‘Framework for civil monitoring of the implementation of sanctions and measures’; • CvT assessment criteria for juvenile and adult detention centres; • principles of Proper Treatment. In addition, the Sounding Board Group Commissions of oversight for penitentiary institutions in 2014 drafted the ‘Commission of Oversight Quality Development’ note to raise awareness of the NPM/OPCAT perspectives within the individual commissions of oversight. This note included observance of the OPCAT obligations as one of the areas requiring supervision. On the national level, the National Centre for the Commissions of oversight for police custody, in collaboration with the regional commissions, is actively working to safeguard the quality of supervision. In early 2014 this resulted, for instance, in the introduction of a standard CTA inspection visit reporting form, while a standard model for the commissions’ annual reports is currently being drafted. All chairmen and secretaries meet twice a year and a conference for all CTA members and police officials, like the Heads of Police Custody, was held in February 2014. The NPM meeting, in which the National Centre represents the ten CTAs, is a fixed item on the agenda. An overview of the supervisory activities performed in 2014, divided into subareas, is provided below. The NPM has designated the theme of ‘transport’ to be the theme for 2015. 6