Criticism of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Örebro Remand Prison, because for at least two years inmates have not been able to receive visitors

Summary of the decision: The visiting rooms at Örebro Remand Prison have been used as cells for over two years with only a brief interruption. As a result, inmates have been unable to receive visitors during this period. The Parliamentary Ombudsman criticises the prison for closing down its visiting operations for such an extended period of time and underlines the importance of the prison making every effort to ensure that inmates can once again receive visitors. While it emerged that inmates do have opportunities for contact with friends and family when attending police interviews, such opportunities are provided by the Swedish Police Authority and, according to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, can never free the prison from its own obligation in this regard.