I remember October 2012 very well indeed. It was the month I collected an 8 week old Labrador puppy to take home to be a family pet. I’d never had a dog before and in truth was not completely sold on the idea but my daughter tactically (and emotionally!) outmanoeuvred me. My only real say […]

The UKNPM has published the report from the UN SPT on their inaugural visit to the UK in 2019. So, with all of those acronyms in mind let’s take first things first and look at what the NPM is, what OPCAT is and who are the SPT? What is the UKNPM? The UK’s National Preventive […]

Independent custody visiting schemes across the UK have continued to monitor police custody throughout COVID19.  Through a combination of techniques including face-to-face visits, remote visits, custody record scrutiny and meetings with custody staff, ICV schemes have overseen custody and provided feedback on key issues throughout this time. Six months into the pandemic, ICVA has brought […]

Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are amazing people.  They give up their own time to visit police custody, speak to detainees and recommend changes.  ICVs are valued by the offices that run the schemes (usually Police and Crime Commissioners, but sometimes police authorities and policing boards) and make a real difference to custody. For the past […]