Report to the Finnish Government on the Visit to Finland
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CPT/Inf (2009) 5 Report to the Finnish Government on the visit to Finland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 20 to 30 April 2008 The Finnish Government has requested the publication of this report. Strasbourg, 20 January 2009 - 3 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report............................................................................ 5 I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 7 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ............................................................. 7 B. Establishments visited.............................................................................................................. 8 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation encountered.................................. 8 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED.............................. 11 A. Police establishments.............................................................................................................. 11 1. Preliminary remarks........................................................................................................ 11 2. Ill-treatment..................................................................................................................... 12 3. Safeguards against ill-treatment...................................................................................... 12 4. Conditions of detention................................................................................................... 16 5. Remand detention in police establishments .................................................................... 18 B. Foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under aliens legislation.................................. 22 1. Preliminary remarks........................................................................................................ 22 2. Ill-treatment..................................................................................................................... 23 3. Metsälä Detention Unit for Aliens.................................................................................. 23 a. introduction............................................................................................................ 23 b. conditions of detention .......................................................................................... 23 c. health care.............................................................................................................. 24 d. other issues ............................................................................................................ 26 4. Safeguards....................................................................................................................... 27 5. Deportation of foreign nationals by air ........................................................................... 28 C. Prisons ..................................................................................................................................... 30 1. Preliminary remarks........................................................................................................ 30 2. Ill-treatment by staff and staff-inmate relations.............................................................. 31 3. Inter-prisoner violence and intimidation......................................................................... 32 - 4 - 4..................................................................................Prisoners subject to special regimes 34 a. prisoners held in conditions of high security or control ........................................ 34 i. Riihimäki Prison’s High Security Unit ........................................................ 34 ii. Helsinki and Riihimäki Prisons’ Closed Units............................................. 35 b. segregation of remand prisoners by court order .................................................... 37 5. Conditions of detention for prisoners in general............................................................. 38 a. Vantaa Remand Prison .......................................................................................... 38 b. follow-up visits to Helsinki and Riihimäki Prisons............................................... 40 6. Health-care services ........................................................................................................ 42 a. health-care staff ..................................................................................................... 42 b. medical screening on admission ............................................................................ 43 c. Vantaa Prison’s Psychiatric Unit........................................................................... 43 7. Other issues of relevance to the CPT’s mandate............................................................. 45 a. discipline, segregation and observation................................................................. 45 b. contact with the outside world............................................................................... 47 c. inspection procedures ............................................................................................ 48 d. information to prisoners......................................................................................... 48 D. Psychiatric establishments..................................................................................................... 49 1. Preliminary remarks........................................................................................................ 49 2. Ill-treatment..................................................................................................................... 50 3. Patients’ living conditions............................................................................................... 50 a. Psychiatric Treatment and Research Unit for Adolescent Intensive Care (EVA). 50 b. Vanha Vaasa State Psychiatric Hospital................................................................ 51 4. Treatment and staff ......................................................................................................... 51 5. Means of restraint/seclusion............................................................................................ 53 6. Safeguards....................................................................................................................... 55 APPENDIX I: LIST OF THE CPT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.................................................. 59 APPENDIX II: LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH THE CPT’S DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS..................... 75 - 5 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report Ministry of Justice Eteläesplanadi 10 00131 Helsinki Finland Strasbourg, 25 November 2008 Dear Sir/Madam In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Finnish Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) after its visit to Finland from 20 to 30 April 2008. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 67th meeting, held from 3 to 7 November 2008. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix I. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Finnish authorities to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the Finnish authorities to provide, in the above- mentioned response, reactions to the comments formulated in this report as well as replies to the requests for information made. The CPT would ask, in the event of the response being forwarded in the Finnish language, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. It would also be most helpful if the Finnish authorities could provide a copy of the response in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT's visit report or the future procedure. Yours faithfully Mauro PALMA President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - 7 - I. INTRODUCTION A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation 1. In pursuance of Article 7 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), a delegation of the CPT visited Finland from 20 to 30 April 2008. The visit formed part of the Committee's programme of periodic visits for 2008, and was the CPT’s fourth periodic visit to Finland.1 2. The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: - Renate KICKER, 1st Vice-President of the CPT (Head of Delegation) - Pétur HAUKSSON, 2nd Vice-President of the CPT - Jørgen Worsaae RASMUSSEN - George TUGUSHI who were supported by the following members of the CPT’s Secretariat: - Johan FRIESTEDT - Borys WÓDZ. They were assisted by: - Clive MEUX, consultant forensic psychiatrist, Oxford, United Kingdom (expert) - Bertel ÖSTERDAHL, former