MAGHABERRY: NEW CRITICISM OF INFAMOUS PRISON
The standard of prison systems in Northern Ireland has once again come in for stinging criticism following an inspection earlier this year of Maghaberry Prison.
The facility which houses political prisoners in addition to other inmates has been the subject of repeated criticism by both `domestic' inspectors and International bodies.
In the latest report Dr Michael Maguire, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland and Dame Anne Owers, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales, voice their concerns that the Prison has not performed sufficiently well in any of the key inspection tests.
Maguire said in a press release:
"It is a prison with serious operational difficulties that will require a concerted effort to change. Our overall conclusion is that the current position at Maghaberry cannot continue and there remains significant room for improvement in its operation as a public service,"
The Inspectors have called for urgent improvements. However as indicated above this is not the first occasion which the regime at Maghaberry has been criticised and yet the same shortcomings seem to reoccur.
It seems that there is something fundamentally rotten in the Prison system in Northern Ireland that the political establishment seem unable of unwilling to address.
Further suicides or injury at this prison facility seem inevitable unless radical changes are introduced.
The full report of the CJINI can be found here:
Related article of Celtic News (with links to CPT reports of Maghaberry Prison) here:
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
21/07/09
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