Country

Finland

Detention issue

FRA research findings

View details

Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Prison and Probation Service (Rikosseuraamuslaitos/Brottspåföljdsmyndigheten)LGBTI prisoners are addressed in the non-discrimination and equality plan. The plan includes measures such as: information and training on diversity of gender and sexual orientation; recognition that gender or sexual orientation does not prevent a person from participating in prison activities or from a certain placement inside the prison; recognition that the right to marry and found a family belongs also to members of minorities; obligation to interfere, if there is discrimination or harassment against gender or sexual orientation minorities, whether by other customers, including prisoners, or staff; recognition that harassment could include malicious talk, jokes or improper questions or hints about gender or sexual orientation. In its guidelines on the allocation of persons who have gone through or are in the process of gender reassignment, that when it comes to transgender detainees, providing an own cell and toilet should be considered. Remand prisoners and post-trial prisoners whose gender has been legally recognised shall be placed in an accommodation ward in accordance with their recognised gender.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2021The staff were separately asked whether prisoners requiring special support had been identified in the prison and whether sufficient attention was paid to them. Almost one half of the respondents were of the opinion that such prisoners had been only partly identified and paid attention to. […] The answers of both the prisoners and the staff revealed observations of a racist and discriminatory attitude especially towards prisoners with a foreign background, prisoners with mental health problems and Roma prisoners. Based on the responses, the prisoners also had doubts about whether the prison intervened in such cases. Report details