What should be the structure of a visit report?
Visit reports may differ from one NPM to another, and from one context to another. Nevertheless, a visit report may contain some or all of the following information:
An executive summary: compiling the key findings, analysis and recommendations formulated by the NPM. The executive summary can also be published as a separate document from the full visit report. A compilation of all recommendations can also be included as a separate section.
Introductory information about the visiting process: information about the visiting team members and composition, the visit date/s and the visit background (first visit or follow-up visit), acknowledgment of cooperation by authorities, as well as any specific focuses of the visit, if relevant.
Background information about the visited place: name of the institution, type, location, size, occupancy rate.
In the case of a follow up visit and report, a section about changes can be included in the report (often at the beginning or in each thematic subsection).
A substantive part on the conditions and treatment of persons deprived of liberty in the visited place, possibly organised thematically:
Particular attention should be paid to the triangulation of information. This means making sure that all information in the report has been cross-checked using different sources (including interviews with persons deprived of liberty and authorities, examination of registers and other relevant documents, and direct observation), to ensure its reliability.
It is essential to preserve the confidentiality of the data collected by the NPM, making sure that any information provided by the NPM in its visit report is not attributable to specific persons (whether detainees or staff members) unless they receive express and informed consent. In this regard, some NPMs use pseudonyms (such as person X or Y) to disguise the identity of those they wish to refer to.
Good practices: Many NPMs also highlight good practice they observe during their visit – this does not need to be a specific section but can be inserted as needed in the text.
Analysis in light of the national and international norms and standards. Visit reports may include relevant legal standards, policies and good practices, particularly as this will reinforce recommendations.
Recommendations: visit reports should also include recommendations for authorities on how to remedy the systemic issues identified during the visit. It is crucial that NPM recommendations are based on high quality objective evidence and analysis, documented in the report.
Recommendations can be presented either at the end of each section of the report or directly following the text of observations and analysis of the issues. When the recommendations are inserted throughout the report, it is advisable that they be numbered and highlighted in bold, enabling the reader to quickly spot the recommendations in the document. It is also good practice to compile all the recommendations at the end or beginning of the report.