This year, the focus was on the psychiatric care of people in prison. Representatives from all countries reported equally on a lack of specialised staff and overcrowding. This leads to people with increased care needs being segregated in solitary confinement for longer periods of time. This often exacerbates the mental state of those affected.
On this topic, the Austrian Ombudsman Board presented its current audit focus "Special care needs of persons with mental health problems outside the detention centre" for prisons. There was also a detailed presentation by the Ombudsman Board on the methodology used to develop nationwide review priorities.
The meeting ended with a follow-up presentation: Last year's D-A-CH meeting in Berlin included a report on human rights monitoring during football matches. A representative of the Austrian Ombudsman Board then gave a presentation on the Ombudsman Board's approach to this topic.
The discussions and the intensive exchange between the participants were lively and proved to be valuable for the professional work. The next D-A-CH meeting is expected to take place in Switzerland in 2026.
