26 NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN National Preventive Mechanism against Torture and Ill-Treatment ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Execution of sentences in the Netherlands and Norway’s commitments pursuant to the UN Convention against Torture The rental of places for Norwegian inmates in a Dutch prison in 2015 raised a number of issues concerning the safeguarding of the inmates and their rights as well as Norway’s commitment to preventing, prohibiting and punishing torture and ill-treatment of people subject to Norwegian jurisdiction. An important part of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s prevention mandate is the opportunity to submit proposals and comments to existing legislation or draft legislation with a view to improving the treatment of and conditions for people who are deprived of their liberty.1 On 30 January 2015, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security distributed proposed amendments to the Execution of Sentences Act for consultation, intended to provide legal authority for prison sentences being served in another state.2 In order to reduce the number of people waiting to serve their sentence and increase the capacity of the correctional services to execute custodial sentences and remand people in custody, it was proposed to rent prison places abroad. The Norwegian authorities entered into negotiations with the Dutch authorities and reached an agreement whereby Norway was to rent places for 242 inmates in Norgerhaven prison in the Netherlands. The agreement stated, among other things, that most of the employees of the prison should be Dutch, that there should be a Norwegian prison manager and that the health services in the prison were to be provided by the Dutch health authorities. 1 The Optional Protocol (OPCAT) Article 19. 2 Consultation - Amendments to the Execution of Sentences Act. 30 January 2015 https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/horing--endring-i-straffegjennomforingsloven/id2363989/.