Monitoring places of detention
The Ombudsman visits places where people are detained to check their treatment and conditions.
Places that people cannot leave at will, and the Ombudsman inspects, include:
- prisons
- court facilities
- mental health facilities
- intellectual disability facilities
- aged care facilities
- COVID-19 managed isolation and quarantine facilities
- immigration detention centres.
The Ombudsman then makes recommendations to these places where necessary to improve the conditions of detention and detainee treatment.
For more information about this work see:
- Aged care facilities monitoring programme
- Court facilities monitoring programme
- COVID-19 managed isolation and quarantine facilities monitoring programme
Information about this work is available in multiple languages and accessible formats.
COVID-19
The Chief Ombudsman’s designation on 1 April 2020 as an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic required him to reset his planned inspection programme. These resources provide more information about his inspections during the pandemic.
Media statements
- Chief Ombudsman to begin inspections of COVID-19 managed isolation and quarantine facilities
- Parliament’s independent watchdog to inspect secure aged care facilities
- Chief Ombudsman sets out principles for the treatment of detainees during COVID-19
- Chief Ombudsman continues to monitor treatment of detainees
Statement of principles & inspection criteria
The Ombudsman provided agencies responsible for places of detention with a set of principles and his inspection criteria, to guide them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- OPCAT inspections during COVID-19 pandemic – update and Statement of Principles poster
- OPCAT inspections and visits during COVID-19 pandemic – update and Statement of Principles
- Criteria for OPCAT COVID-19 Inspections - pamphlet
- Criteria for OPCAT COVID-19 inspections
Other resources
- COVID-19: Measures needed to protect people deprived of liberty, UN torture prevention body says – United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Reports
Ombudsman report offers valuable lessons to secure aged care facilities during lockdown
Report on inspections of aged care facilities under the Crimes of Torture Act 1989
Ombudsman says positive steps by prisons to keep out COVID-19 has been at the expense of some prisoners’ rights
Report on COVID-19 inspections of prisons
Mental health services inspected generally got it right over ‘lockdown’
Report on COVID-19 inspections of mental health facilities