Our Expectations

The Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector has a duty to publish documents setting out how people deprived of their liberty should be treated and the conditions they experience.

The documents in this web page explain how the Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector expects people to be treated in places where they are not free to leave at will. These expectations are based on international and domestic human rights obligations, related standards, and guidance provided by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture.

Regulatory bodies often call these documents ‘standards’. However, around the world NPMs typically call these documents expectations. This is because NPMs are not regulators or complaints assessors. Rather, NPMs work proactively to prevent harm, and their expectations reflect obligations that as a nation we should already be upholding and promoting.

Each expectations document focuses on specific people and places of deprivation of liberty. They were prepared with the assistance of subject matter experts and through stakeholder and public consultation.

Read our expectations documents

The Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector’s expectations are used to guide examinations. They also help people understand the things that are considered during inspections and in providing advice or recommendations.

The expectations have been grouped by broad themes related to the types of places in which people are deprived of liberty in Tasmania. This includes any mobile settings, such as transport vehicles. Each document includes an overview of how the expectations were developed, and the laws and policies that shaped them.

Adult Custodial Centres
Summary Booklet - Adult Custodial Centres Expectations
Children and Young People
Health and Social Care
Mental Health
Police and Court Custody

What are expectations?

The experience of people deprived of their liberty is at the heart of the Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector’s expectations. Each document is focused on ensuring that people are treated humanely, that rights are protected and respected, and to identify risks and areas of concern.

These expectations flow from the Tasmanian NPM’s obligations under OPCAT. OPCAT requires that NPMs regularly examine places where people are deprived of their liberty, with the goal of improving the treatment and the conditions and to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (OPCAT Article 19).

Within each document, every expectation is supported by a list of ‘indicators’. These indicators are designed to reflect everyday outcomes for people deprived of their liberty, and how systems and processes should function.

When conducting an examination, the Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector, and office staff, will look at these indicators to help them determine if that expectation is being met. By framing the indicators in this way, people deprived of their liberty, service providers, and administrators can also use the document to understand how human rights obligations apply in practice, and to identify issues or risks.

Reports, publications and recommendations

The expectations shape our reports, recommendations, and advice. We publish these documents for everyone to read. As living documents, the Tasmanian NPM and Custodial Inspector welcomes any feedback on their structure or content, which may be incorporated into future revisions.

You can also read more about the development of the expectations in our Preventing Torture and ill-treatment in Tasmania implementation and supplementary reports, published in 2023 and 2024 respectfully.

All our publications are available from our Resources hub

Resources hub

Further information about OPCAT

Our expectations are informed by OPCAT and other domestic and international laws and policies. Our resources page provides links to further reading.

Further information