51
Visits, Follow-ups and Results in 2020
Recommendations that require additional resources
Some of the NPM’s recommendations cannot
be resolved solely by the institutions but are
dependent on framework conditions that are not
determined by the institutions.
Follow-up after the visit to Oslo Prison in November
2018 showed that the prison and health section
had implemented a number of measures, both
immediate measures and more comprehensive
long-term efforts to improve conditions at the
prison. At the same time, the prison and health
section notified that they had been unable to
implement several of the recommendations due to
staffing, building and financial limitations.
According to the prison administration it was
for instance not possible to improve the shower
facilities that the Ombudsman had criticized. The
Ombudsman concluded the visit emphasizing
that shower facilities were untenable, and that the
ongoing pandemic heightened the seriousness of
the situation.
Follow-up over an extended time period
Occasionally, the Ombudsman’s follow-up of
institutions extends over a longer period of time.
This may be due to the fact that some recommen
dations involve changes that require more time
to implement. The Ombudsman wants to be kept
informed also of more extensive changes and will
therefore wait in some cases to conclude the visit.
In other cases, the dialogue may be prolonged
because the institution has provided insufficient in
formation on their follow-up of recommendations.
The reason may also be disagreement concerning
the actual circumstances or a lack of willingness to
change established practices.
As a consequence, the Ombudsman's work on
visits can in some cases prolong for more than a
year after the visit has been conducted. All letters
exchanged between the Ombudsman and the
institution in this follow-up process are public and
published on our website.5
During 2020, five visits have led to a need for such
prolonged dialogue: the visit to the child welfare
institutions Stendi Nymogården and Jong Youth
Centre, section for children and adolescents at
Helse Stavanger HF, and the security sections and
section for geriatric psychiatry at Østfold Hospital,
Kalnes.
Oslo Prison located in Grønland, Oslo.
5
The letters are published via the link “Follow-up” of each individual visit: https://www.sivilombudsmannen.no/en/visit-reports/
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