Date of article: 08/10/2025
Daily News of: 10/10/2025
Country: 
Denmark
Author:
Article language: en
In his new thematic report, the Ombudsman focuses on inmates’ access to visits and occupation in the Prison and Probation Service. Among other things, the Ombudsman has found that the inmates in certain local prisons are primarily offered work folding Christmas decorations that are often thrown out afterwards. This causes dissatisfaction with the inmates, who would like to produce items with actual utility value.
The Ombudsman has recommended that three local prisons should, on an ongoing basis, pay attention to the nature of the cell work that they offer inmates.
‘The inmates’ occupation must contribute to giving substance and structure in their everyday lives in incarceration and, if possible, make the inmates more capable of getting and holding down a job afterwards. It would therefore be beneficial if the local prisons can offer cell work that has a greater degree of utility value and is not just discarded afterwards’, says Parliamentary Ombudsman Christian Britten Lundblad.
Focus on visits and occupation
The Ombudsman visited seven local prisons, including Western Prison, and three state prisons as part of the theme for the monitoring visits to institutions for adults in 2024. Today, the Ombudsman has published the English version of his thematic report on visits and occupation in the Prison and Probation Service.
In the report’s summary of the most significant results, the Ombudsman generally recommends, among other things, that local prisons on an ongoing basis take care to procure cell work and shopwork and that they focus on the nature of such work.
The Ombudsman also concludes that there is generally a wider work availability in the state prisons than in the local prisons. In the visited state prisons, it was possible to work in various workshops or to maintain the institutions and outdoor grounds, while the local prisons primarily offered cell work.
Regarding the inmates’ possibility of getting visits, the Ombudsman found in two of the visited state prisons and two local prisons that some or all of the visiting rooms used for visits from children did not appear inviting, comfortable and child friendly.
He therefore generally recommends in the thematic report that the Prison and Probation Service – in accordance with the Department of Prisons and Probation’s standard for visiting rooms – ensure that visiting rooms where visits with children are held are inviting and comfortable and allow for activities between incarcerated parents and children of all ages.
Read the whole thematic report.
Read the Ombudsman’s previous news item ‘The Ombudsman investigates prison inmates’ access to visits and occupation’ (news item of 23 January 2024).
Read the Ombudsman’s news item ‘The Prison and Probation Service should obtain greater knowledge of inmates’ access to visits at Western Prison’ (news item of 3 June 2025).
Further details:
Director of International Relations Klavs Kinnerup Hede, kkh@ombudsmanden.dk
FACTS
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, which is in focus for part of the year’s monitoring visits. The theme of the Ombudsman’s monitoring visits (adults) in 2024 was inmates’ access to visits and occupation in the Prison and Probation Service. In that connection, the Ombudsman visited:
- ‘Holbæk Arrest’
- ‘Viborg Arrest’
- ‘Ringkøbing Arrest’
- ‘Herning Arrest’
- ‘Vejle Arrest’
- ‘Køge Arrest’
- Western Prison (local prison)
- Storstrøm Prison
- Søbysøgård Prison
- Ringe Prison
Read more about the Ombudsman’s monitoring activities
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