During the reporting year, the Chancellor focused attention primarily on open prisons and
possibilities of prisoners to be in contact with their family members.
During the reporting year, the Chancellor’s advisers inspected three open prisons. The
Chancellor noted that, in order to find work and facilitate searching for routes to move
between the place of work and the prison, prisoners in an open prison unit would need to
use a computer and the internet. Prisoners outside the prison would also need to use a
mobile phone, so as to be able to notify the prison, for example, when their return to the
prison is delayed due to an accident or technical failure of a public transport vehicle.
Unfortunately, so far prisoners in an open prison still have no possibility to use the internet or
a mobile phone, even though the Chancellor already drew attention to the problem in 2016.
In the female prison section of the open prison unit of Tallinn Prison, the Chancellor’s
advisers found a hostile atmosphere. Immediately after the visit, the prison was asked to
closely monitor the situation and help to alleviate tensions between prisoners. The Chancellor
also emphasised that if a prisoner is stripped completely for a search, this must always be
based on a risk assessment arising from a particular prisoner’s behaviour. It is not justified if
all prisoners without exception are searched like this when returning from work. This is
demeaning to the dignity of prisoners.
The unit for mothers and children in Tallinn Prison, however, left a good impression.
Nevertheless, the prison should make an effort to create an environment which is as homelike as possible and protects the health and well-being of children. For example, the children’s
play corner in the unit could be made safer, more convenient and contribute more to
children’s development, and going outdoors could be made easier for mothers and children.
The Chancellor stressed that officers and staff must always give primary consideration to the
interests of children in the unit. During the inspection visit, there was only one mother with a
child in the unit, and her opportunities for contact with other adults were scarce. The prison
could create more opportunities for substantive communication for the mother and enable
her to participate in social programmes and free-time activities. To do this, it must be possible
to leave the child in the care of a suitable person.
The Chancellor paid much attention to opportunities for contact with the family during shortterm and long-term visits in Tallinn Prison. The prison should not make a prisoner’s meetings
with the family inconvenient by carrying out unjustified searches and creating obstacles such