ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 INSPECTING PLACES OF DETENTION IN SAMOA For the first time ever, prisons and other places of detention in Samoa have been inspected by the Office of the Ombudsman, as part of its expanded mandate as the country’s national human rights institution. Over a five-day period in January 2015, a team of inspectors from the Office of the Ombudsman visited six facilities, including Tafaigata prison and Police Headquarters Custody in Apia, as well as the newly opened Mental Health Unit at Motootua, the Olomaanu Juvenile Detention Centre and Vaaita Prison in Savaii. The purpose of the visits was to build an understanding of the current conditions within these places of detention, especially in key areas such as security, health, safety and education. The findings and recommendations from the inspections were presented in a report to the Parliament of Samoa. Inspectors from the Office of the Ombudsman were assisted in the visits by Jacki Jones (Chief Inspector for the Office of the Ombudsman, New Zealand), Michael Woodhead (Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman) and Ashley Bowe (APF Project Manager). In preparation for these visits, staff from the Office of the Ombudsman, including the Deputy Ombudsman, and representatives from the Ministries of Police and Prisons and Correctional Facilities attended a four-day APF workshop on the principles of monitoring places of detention. The workshop drew on an inspections handbook produced last year by the APF which provides a framework of standards for all areas of detention. A plan of inspections for 2015–16 has since been developed by the Office of the Ombudsman. All Torture Prevention Ambassadors attended an initial planning meeting in November 2014 where they worked with two expert mentors to develop and finalise their project plans. The APF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with each participating member institution to ensure the continuity of the project in the event that a Torture Prevention Ambassador leaves his or her institution. They will also report on how their project is progressing through regular blog postings, media interviews and formal presentations, sharing lessons learned and effective approaches to torture prevention with colleagues in other NHRIs in the region. The APF provided grants of 5,308 Euros for each project. As part of their participation in the program, each Torture Prevention Ambassador will receive ongoing support from a program mentor. National human rights institutions have access to a whole series of actors at the national level; to the parliament, to government ministers and to the media. If they play their cards right, they can be the ones who really bring about change. MARK THOMSON SECRETARY-GENERAL, ASSOCIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE SOURCE: APF INTERVIEW, MARCH 2015 15