C APPENDIX Dnr O 7-2018 react to isolation depends on their personal circumstances, for example, if he or she has previous experience of being deprived of their liberty.8 One way to counteract the negative consequences of isolation is to offer an inmate isolation-breaking measures. A central aspect of these harmful effects is that the inmate is deprived of meaningful human contact. In order for a measure to, therefore, have some positive effect and break isolation in the true sense of the word, it must involve an inmate having meaningful human contact. This can involve, for example, an inmate being allowed to receive visits, spending time with another inmate (co-sitting) or participate in activities together with remand prison staff. International criticism of the conditions in Swedish remand prisons The UN Committee against Torture (CAT), the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) have, for many years, criticised Sweden for the conditions for inmates in Swedish remand prisons. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture The CPT is an expert committee appointed by the members of the Council of Europe. The main task of the committee is to visit places where people are deprived of their liberty. Following the CPT's visit to Sweden in 2009, the Committee emphasised that it supported the recommendations made by the SPT that Sweden, inter alia, must take measures to prevent the negative effects prolonged isolation can have. The CPT highlighted that, since 1991, the Committee had had a dialogue with Sweden on the use of restrictions and that much work remained to ensure that such restrictions were used only in exceptional cases. In addition, the Committee called on the Swedish authorities to intensify their efforts in ensuring all inmates are able to spend a reasonable part of the day outside their cell and are able to engage in purposeful activities of a varied nature. The Committee emphasised that the lack of physical activity and intellectual stimulation can be particularly harmful for young inmates. For this reason, the Swedish authorities were recommended to develop programmes of activities designed specifically to meet the needs of young inmates.9 The CPT visited Sweden again in 2015. Following the visit, the Committee stated that it was highly regrettable that the use of restrictions continued almost unchanged and without any real signs of improvement – despite the dialogue the Committee had had with Sweden for 24 years. In the opinion of the CPT, the approach to the use of restrictions and the overall regime for inmates must See The Istanbul Statement on the Use and Effects of Solitary Confinement (adopted December 9, 2007) p. 2. See CPT/Inf (2009) 34 paragraphs 35–38 and 54. 8 9 – 86 – Page 5 (21)