The Parliamentary Ombudsman has carried out a monitoring visit to Jyderup Prison, which was turned into a women’s prison in October 2021.

The purpose of establishing a women’s prison was to improve safety against harassment and abuse for the female inmates and to improve the possibility of offering them relevant activities and occupation.

‘Since Jyderup Prison is the only women’s prison in Denmark, it must accommodate many different inmates. This may cause difficulties in the daily life. My recommendations are generally that the prison’s management ensure that the prison is a safe place to be for all inmates’, says acting Parliamentary Ombudsman Henrik Bloch Andersen.

According to the management, the prison has to deal with many inmates with psychiatric diagnoses and other mental health difficulties. This may cause a feeling of insecurity among the other inmates and requires attention regarding the handling of mentally vulnerable inmates. The prison’s physical setting may at the same time cause difficulties in relation to inmates with physical disabilities and care needs.

The visiting team also found that the occupation and activity options vary a great deal in the prison’s various units.

In addition, several inmates said that the distance to family, including in particular their children, affects them a lot. The visiting team also found a separate issue, where an inmate with a child could not currently be transferred to serve in the open unit because there were inmates in that unit who had been convicted of sexual crimes. This meant that the woman was placed in the remand unit where the physical setting was not as good for the child.

In continuation of his monitoring visit, the Ombudsman has given a number of recommendations to the prison’s management. Among other things, the Ombudsman recommends:

• that management take into account inmates’ needs due to any reduced functional capacity
• that management pay attention to the handling of mentally vulnerable inmates
• that management look into creating more occupation options in the closed unit and more cell work in the remand unit
• that management ensure that the possibility of extended visits from closely related children is considered in all of the prison’s units
• that management address the fact that inmates with children who are serving in an open unit cannot be received there under the current circumstances.

Read the Ombudsman’s closing letter (in Danish only).

Further details:

Director of International Relations,

Klavs Kinnerup Hede, kkh@ombudsmanden.dk

Facts

On 9 and 10 September 2024, the Ombudsman carried out a monitoring visit to Jyderup Prison.

The prison receives female inmates from all of Denmark and has 143 places, of which 58 are remand places, 45 are open places, and 40 are closed places. 

It is the first time that the Ombudsman carries out a general monitoring visit to the prison after it became a women’s prison.

On 9 February 2023, the Ombudsman’s Children’s Division carried out a monitoring visit to the prison focusing on the conditions for children who live in the prison with their mothers (link available in Danish only).

The Ombudsman’s monitoring visits to institutions for adults in 2023 focused particularly on the Prison and Probation Service’s transport of inmates to court appearances, outpatient treatment and in connection with transfer of inmates from one Prison and Probation Service institution to another.

The transports are to a large extent carried out by special transport officers employed with the Prison and Probation Service's transport and guard units.

The Ombudsman’s main impression is that the Prison and Probation Service has organised the work of transporting inmates in a professional and appropriate manner. It is generally taken into account that the inmates are often in a vulnerable position.

However, in the Ombudsman's opinion, there are also matters that can be improved. The Prison and Probation Service should thus ensure focus on remedying language barriers during transport, including making use of interpreters to the extent necessary. This could be in situations where healthcare assistance for an inmate is needed, where there is a risk of conflict escalation or where an inmate wants to express that they are feeling unsafe or express ordinary needs during the transport.

The investigation has also shown some uncertainty in the Prison and Probation Service in connection with what rules on use of handcuffs should be used in relation to specific transports.

In addition, the Ombudsman recommends that the Prison and Probation Service pay more attention to ensuring discretion for the inmates in public spaces when they are going to healthcare treatments. The Prison and Probation Service should also in connection with healthcare treatments ensure that the confidentiality between doctor and patient is respected to the extent possible.

Read the whole thematic report on the Ombudsman’s monitoring activities in 2023.

Read the news item on the theme of the Ombudsman’s 2024 monitoring visits to institutions for adults.

Further details: Director of International Relations, Klavs Kinnerup Hede kkh@ombudsmanden.dk

FACTS

The investigation involved monitoring visits to the three transport and guard units in Copenhagen, Kolding and Hobro under the Transport and Guard Group (Koncern Transport og Bevogtning), the Department of Prisons and Probation.

The investigation also involved monitoring visits to two state prisons and three local prisons:

• Nr. Snede Prison

• Enner Mark Prison

• ‘Bornholms Arrest’

• ‘Randers Arrest’

• ‘Kolding Arrest’.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman carries out monitoring visits to public and private institutions where people are or can be deprived of their liberty.

The monitoring visits are carried out in cooperation with the Danish Institute for Human Rights and DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture, which contribute with medical and human rights expertise.

Every year, a theme is chosen for the year’s monitoring visits

The National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) of Lithuania has joined NPMs from 45 other countries to contribute to the development of a global report on women in prison, launched today by the Geneva-based Association for the Prevention of Torture.

This landmark report highlights significant challenges and systemic discrimination faced by women in prisons around the globe, calling for urgent reforms and greater use of alternatives to detention.

Drawing on data and analysis from National Preventive Mechanisms operating across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, the report provides the first global analysis of women in prison based on the findings of NPMs, independent oversight bodies with a mandate to prevent torture and ill-treatment in all places where people are deprived of liberty.

The Global Report on Women in Prison: Analysis from National Preventive Mechanisms reveals that women, who represent a small but growing percentage of the global prison population, are often subjected to systemic neglect and discrimination.

The report identifies several concerning themes affecting women in prison in the 46 countries reviewed, including:

• Heightened risks of ill-treatment: Women face unique challenges in prison, such as humiliating and invasive body searches, inappropriate use of solitary confinement and restraints, with particularly severe impacts on pregnant women, LGBTIQ+ women, indigenous women and women with mental health conditions.
• Neglect of gender-specific needs: Access to adequate healthcare, hygiene facilities and products, and mental health services often falls far short of international standards, exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities.
• Intersectional discrimination: Foreign women, indigenous women, older women, LGBTIQ+ women, pregnant women and women from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds face specific – and sometimes greater – risks of abuse and discrimination.

Since the adoption in 2010 of the United Nations Bangkok Rules, which aim to address the needs of women in the criminal justice system, important progress has been made but much remains to be done to implement these standards in practice.

The report offers comprehensive recommendations to drive systemic change for women in prison, emphasising the crucial role of NPMs in driving reforms.

Key recommendations include:

• Implementing gender-responsive alternatives to imprisonment for women, particularly for non-violent offenses.
• Implementing alternatives to harmful or humiliating practices that can amount to ill-treatment, such as solitary confinement, use of restraints and body searches
• Ensuring access to gender-specific healthcare and mental health support
• Strengthening family contact through flexible visiting arrangements and communication options
• Improving staff training on gender-sensitive approaches
• Addressing the specific needs of women at heightened risk of ill-treatment, including pregnant women, LGBTIQ+ women, indigenous and foreign women.

The report also provides good practice examples from different countries.

The Global Report is accompanied by individual country reports prepared by NPMs and Local Preventive Mechanisms operating in the 46 countries, including here in Lithuania: https://www.apt.ch/global-report/lithuania

The Global Report is supported by the Government of Canada and the City of Geneva.

In der ORF Sendung „Bürgeranwalt“ vom 4.1.2025 ging es um einen als Lagerplatz genutzten Grüngürtel. Monatelang war ein Ehepaar aus Amstetten in ihrem Wohnhaus dem Lärm, Staub und Erdarbeiten der betrieblichen Nutzung des Grünlandes ausgesetzt. Das Ehepaar erstattete zwar Anzeige bei der Gemeinde, die aber nicht eingeschritten ist.

Der Lagerplatz sei zur temporären Nutzung mit der Widmung vereinbar, heißt es. „Diese Bestimmung gibt es so nicht. Grünland ist und bleibt Grünland. Ich kann nicht glauben, dass die Baubehörde eine Vereinbarkeit sieht, wenn im Grünland schwere Container aufgestellt werden, Anschüttungen vorgenommen werden und Asphaltstücke gelagert werden. Ein Grüngürtel ist definitiv kein Lagerplatz“, kritisiert Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz, die von der Behörde eine umgehende Erlassung von Nutzungsverboten einfordert. „Außerdem wäre eine Entschuldigung der Gemeinde beim betroffenen Ehepaar angebracht, dass sie nicht umgehend eingeschritten ist“, appelliert die Volksanwältin.

Nachgefragt: Abbruchauftrag für ein Ferienhaus

„Nachgefragt“ wurde, wie es mit dem Abbruchauftrag für ein auf einem von der Gemeinde selbst zuerst gepachtetes und ausgepflocktes Grundstück errichteten Ferienhaus weiterging.  Doch nun erhielt die Familie einen Abbruchauftrag für das 50 Jahre alte Haus, weil angeblich die Grundgrenzen nicht eingehalten worden seien. „Die Eigentümer haben Rechtsmittel ergriffen und waren damit erfolgreich. Das Landesverwaltungsgericht hat festgehalten, dass nicht nachvollziehbar ist, auf welcher Grundlage die Behörde zu dem Schluss gekommen ist, dass die Grenze überbaut wurde. Schließlich ist die Behörde selbst bis zum Jahr 2020 davon ausgegangen, dass das Haus korrekt errichtet wurde.“