Find out more about the UK National Preventative Mechanism
Visit the National Preventative Mechanism’s website to learn more.
Our role in the National Preventive Mechanism
The National Preventive Mechanism is a system of independent bodies responsible for monitoring places of detention to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
It was established in response to the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which requires states to create mechanisms that regularly inspect prisons, police stations, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals and other facilities where people are deprived of their liberty.
CJI’s involvement
In Northern Ireland, CJI is one of four bodies involved in this work, alongside the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority , the Northern Ireland Policing Board Independent Custody Visiting Scheme and the Independent Monitoring Boards.
CJI’s NPM function covers inspections of prisons, prisoner transport, police and court custody, and juvenile justice centres, carried out by CJI staff or partners—no interns or secondees are involved.
In August 2015, CJI signed a protocol with the IMBs and the Prisoner Ombudsman to ensure detainees can communicate with these bodies without fear of sanctions.
More about our process
Who do we inspect?
CJI reports on a range of criminal justice organisations in Northern Ireland, including the police, courts, prisons, prosecution service, probation service, and youth justice agencies.
The Inspection Process
CJI conducts inspections by assessing criminal justice agencies through document reviews, data analysis, interviews, on-site visits, and published reports with recommendations for improvement.
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