CLOTHING

Prisoners are given prison clothing and necessary linen on arrival in prison. The range of prison clothes of male and female prisoners dates back to 1998. The prison clothes are washed in a central laundry in Hämeenlinna Prison.

Prisoners are allowed to wear their own clothes but it can be restricted based on the prison order or occupational safety. Prisoners are responsible for maintaining their own clothes.

CATERING

Prisons arrange the prisoners their daily catering and the personnel an opportunity for workplace dining. In 2009, a total of 3 122 prisoners and 585 members of the personnel used the catering service daily.

The planning of the food served in prisons is centralised so that it meets the nutritive needs of the prisoners and the personnel and that the food management is economical. The aim is to ensure that the quality, costs, preparation facilities and service of the food correspond to the normal institutional catering services. In addition to the joint basic menu determined by the Central Administration of the Criminal Sanctions Agency, the prisons also use unified special diet menus. Special diets are provided based on medical, religious or ethical reasons.

Pursuant to Chapter 7, section 5 of the Imprisonment Act, an exception can be made to the basic diet if it is justifiable with regard to the health of the prisoner or due to his or her religious or other well-founded conviction. The prison has to arrange the diet in accordance with the aforementioned provision of the Imprisonment Act and the general instructions of the regulation of the Criminal Sanctions Agency.

The catering service of the prison administration includes 25 food preparation kitchens. The aim is that the food is prepared by a professional kitchen staff and prisoners are used only in assisting duties in the kitchen. In some prisons, prisoners are not allowed to carry out catering duties at all for safety reasons. Prisoners work in kitchens together with the professional staff in 19 prisons. In 2009, the catering service employed about 65 prisoners daily.

Food is served in the prison dining hall or in the dining rooms of the accommodation wards of prisoners. If there is no common dining area, the food is served in the cells. Five open prisons have outsourced the prison catering.

PRISON CANTEEN

Closed prisons have canteens where prisoners can buy goods, such as tobacco, hygiene products and groceries, for personal use. Prisoners can make purchases in the prison canteen at least once a week. In open prisons, prisoners are can purchase goods they require either from a mobile grocery or they are transported to a local grocery.