8 THE PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMEN’S INSPEC TIONS OF REMAND PRISONS 2015–2019 “There is no special association department, which results in new inmates being placed where there is a place and where it is appropriate for security reasons. When an inmate’s restrictions are lifted, he or she remains in [his or her cell] under the same conditions as before.”14 A similar situation was described during an inspection of Gävle Remand Prison in January 2017. The remand prison does not have an association department and, in The lack of association the opinion of the remand prison’s management, thedepartments leads to re are too few association inmates without places in the Prison and Probation Service’s Regirestrictions being placed in restriction on North. This means that inmates can remain in a departments remand prison even after a prosecutor has lifted restrictions. Even those who are held on remand for sexual offences can remain in the remand prisons because, in the view of the remand prison management, they cannot associate with other inmates. During the inspection, however, Gävle Remand Prison had been notified that inmates without restrictions could be moved to an association remand prison in the Prison and Probation Service’s Region West.15 During an inspection of Huddinge Remand Prison in January 2017, the remand prison management stated that adapted premises and increased staff density would probably mean that inmates could be outside their cells for longer periods.16 During an inspection of Sollentuna Remand Prison, the management emphasised that the 14 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr 417-2017 p. 5. 15 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr 418-2017 p. 6. 16 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr 416-2017 p. 9. prison was built as a high-security remand prison and, as such, there is too little space for association activities. Simultaneously, the management emphasised that the remand prison is trying to review how its premises are used in order to create more time for inmates to spend outside their cells. According to the management, over the past ten years, attention has been given to the issue of inmates’ rights of association with one another and, as a result, more inmates are allowed to co-sit.17 In the Stockholm region, Sollentuna Remand Prison has the most association places and during the inspection the management stated there are many alternatives by relocating inmates. With this reasoning there are “many” inmates without restrictions who “end up” in restriction places around Stockholm.18 The lack of association departments has also given rise to problems in other parts of the country. During an inspection of Göteborg It is extremely Remand Prison in February unsatisfactory that 2019, it emerged that the remand prison had converted inmates are not 43 places in the association given the opportunity department into restriction places. At the time of to associate with one another due to the inspection, only 35 per cent of the places in the re- organisational failures mand prison were intended for association with other inmates. As a result, inmates without restrictions were placed in restriction departments.19 On a number of occasions, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen has commented on the issue of inmates’ rights 17 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr 419-2017 p. 8. 18 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr 419-2017 p. 9. 19 See the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s report dnr O 7-2019 p. 16. – 46 –