As part of the EU-funded project IMPACT, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR), in cooperation with Validity Foundation, organised the EU-Wide Consultation Workshop “Strengthening the Impact of National Monitoring Mechanisms in Enhancing the Rights of Detainees with Intellectual and/or Psychosocial Disabilities in Criminal Justice Settings”.

The workshop brought together representatives of OPCAT National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) and CRPD Independent Monitoring Mechanisms (IMMs), international experts, civil society organisations, and persons with disabilities (including those with lived experience of detention) from across the EU. The event created a unique platform for exchange, reflection, and cooperation on monitoring the rights of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities in criminal justice settings.

Since March 2025, the IMPACT project team has been mapping the work of NPMs and IMMs through desk research and consultations across the EU. During the workshop, the team presented key findings and take-aways from this research process, including recommendations developed together with persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities who were consulted throughout the project.

Across two days of presentations, panel discussions, and participatory working group sessions, participants engaged in open and critical discussions on key aspects of NPM and IMM monitoring, as well as on developing effective recommendations. Some of the key thematic issues addressed included, monitoring legislation on criminal responsibility and security measures, monitoring at policing interface, restraints, seclusion and solitary confinement, and reasonable accommodation in detention.

A recurring theme throughout the workshop was that violations against persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities are rarely isolated incidents. Rather, they often reflect broader structural and cultural systems that normalise coercion, exclusion, and discrimination. Participants therefore stressed the importance of prevention-oriented monitoring approaches that address root causes and systemic issues.

The discussions also highlighted the growing need for stronger cooperation and coordination between different monitoring mandates, as well as the meaningful involvement of persons with disabilities and organisations representing them in monitoring. Building bridges between NPMs and IMMs, as well as with persons with lived experience, was identified as a key step towards enhancing the rights of detainees with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.

The findings and discussions from the EU-Wide Consultation Workshop will feed into the development of a Monitoring Guidebook for NPMs and IMMs, which is scheduled for publication in 2027.