4 Content Content Foreword Aage Thor Falkanger 3 1 2 3 Introduction 6 Background 8 The prohibition against torture and the UN Convention against Torture 9 The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 10 The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) 10 The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s prevention mandate 11 Establishment of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism 13 Overview of places of detention 14 Work methods 15 Legal basis 15 Integrated approach to prevention 16 Visits to places of detention 16 Announced and unannounced visits 17 Visit handbooks 17 Conduct of visits 17 Recommendations 18 4 Determining the priority order of places of detention 18 Visit schedule 18 External experts and professional development 19 Visits to places of detention 20 Focus areas 21 Visits in 2014 22 Prisons 23 Tromsø prison (10–12 September) 23 Bergen prison (4–6 November) 24 Police custody facilities 25 Tønsberg police custody (14 and 20 October) 25 Drammen police custody (22 October) 26 Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014