NPM

‘Review…Review ... Recommend … Repeat … An assessment of where human rights have stalled in places of detention’

On 25 July 2024, SHRC (Scottish Human Rights Commission) and NPM (National Preventive Mechanism) published a significant report: ‘Review … Recommend … Repeat … An assessment of where human rights have stalled in places of detention’. The report reviews recommendations made by international human rights bodies at the United Nations, and the European Committee on the Prevention of Torture, over a 10-year period in prisons and the forensic mental health estate. Having examined 29 specific recommendations, they found that 24 were making little or no progress; 5 were making significant progress; and 0 were complete. They have since identified 3 areas for further action: i) deaths in detention (including custody); ii) transfers between prisons and mental health facilities; iii) Orders for Lifelong Restriction.

Review of Forensic Mental Health Services in Scotland Final Report

On 26 February 2021, the final report into the Review of Forensic Mental Health Services in Scotland was published. Echoing numerous calls from the NPM and HMIPS (including in the recent Liaison Visit to HMP Cornton Vale), it recommended that a high secure service should be opened for women in the State Hospital. Unusually, it gave a timescale for implementation, noting that this should be done within nine months of the report’s publication. We will be keeping a close eye on progress.

Council of Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Report

On 8 October 2020, the Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee published its report on the United Kingdom focusing on Scottish prisons. This was a follow up to their 2018 visit. Many of their recommendations had not been implemented, particularly around high-secure mental health accommodation provision for women. This chimes with calls for governance of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to be revised and to find a way to make their recommendations legally enforceable.

Archive

2024

2021

2020

Subscribe to NPM