Magahaberry Prison « The Celtic League

Posts Tagged ‘Magahaberry Prison’

Ireland: Magaberry Prison Concerns

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

The Celtic League has addressed a query to Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford MLA about conditions for some prisoners at Maghaberry Prison.

The move comes following receipt of a press statement from Republican Sinn Fein which seems to imply that a fairly harsh regime of group punishment directed at republican detainees is being operated at the facility.

The League have asked for assurances in respect of five critical issues (see below):

“Mr David Ford MLA
Minister of Justice
Block B
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT4 3SG

12/07/11

Dear Minister,

We are in receipt today of a press release issued by Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) outlining concerns in relation to the conditions they allege are being endured by prisoners in Maghaberry Prison.

RSF allege that prisoners are:

“on 24-hour lock-up, they are not allowed visits, showers, education or yard time. They are existing (one could hardly call it living) in their tiny cells with excrement smeared on the walls – in the hot weather the stench is
unbearable.”

I note in earlier correspondence the emphasis your Department has placed on the facility provided to prisoners to resolve grievances. However the thrust of the RSF release is that some kind of group punishment is being imposed on prisoners at Maghaberry and if this is the case it hardly engenders confidence in a system
to allow individual resolution of grievances.

We would welcome your assurance that:

a) Facilities for family visits are available to all prisoners.

b) That adequate sanitary and hygiene amenities, including access to showers and washrooms, are available to all prisoners

c) That no total `lock-down’ denying access to reasonable exercise and recreation is in place.

d) That cell sizes (per prisoner) are adequate and comply with the requests for improvement noted in the report of the European Committee for the Prevention of nTorture (CPT) in their report on Maghaberry following their 2008 visit to the prison.

e) That no group punishment is in place which restricts or withholds access to any of the above reasonable rights.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information”

Maghaberry Prison Concern Response

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

The Northern Ireland Minister for Justice, David Ford MLA, has responded to concerns from the Celtic League about the decision to house a female prisoner in the all-male Maghaberry Prison.

See link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3673

The full text of the Ministers letter is set out below and a response from the Celtic League to some of the issues his letter raises is also attached.

“FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE

8th June 2011

Thank you for your letter dated 21 May, in which you raise concerns about the decision to accommodate Ms Marion McGlinchey (Price) in Maghaberry Prison. From your letter it is unclear whether Ms McGlinchey has engaged you to make representations on her behalf.

The decision to transfer Ms McGlinchey to `Maghaberry prison was deemed necessary on the basis of a comprehensive risk assessment.

I am familiar with Section 8 of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and, clearly, there are drawbacks and concerns when locating a female prisoner in an adult male establishment.

However Ms McGlinchey is currently accommodated in a self-contained accommodation block in Maghaberry Prison, which has been dedicated for the accommodation of women prisoners and in which an appropriate regime can be provided. I am satisfied that efforts are well in hand to address any issues with regard to the regime and environment available to her there, with a view to ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to address her gender-specific needs. In addition, Ms McGlinchey has been assigned a `key worker’ and her general health and well-being will be monitored on an ongoing basis.

As you will be aware, the Northern Ireland Prison Service is subject to oversight by a wide range of independent bodies, including the Criminal Justice Inspectorate for Northern Ireland, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, the
Independent Monitoring Board and the Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. Should Ms McGlinchey have any concerns with regard to the conditions of her imprisonment she also has recourse to a confidential complaints system and to the Prisoner Ombudsman.

DAVID FORD MLA
Minister of Justice”

Text of response to Minister below:

“Mr David Ford MLA
Minister of Justice
Block B
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT4 3SG

10/07/11

Dear Minister,

Thank you for your letter of the 8th of June. I apologise for the delay in responding to some of the issues you raised and will forward this response by email to mitigate any further delay.

You asked (1st para) if the Celtic League had been `engaged’ by the specific prisoner mentioned in our correspondence to make representations and I can confirm that no such approach was received.

The Celtic League raised the issue on the basis that it is generally deemed unsuitable for a female prisoner to be housed in an all-male facility.

The Celtic League is an internationally accredited NGO and raises concerns about human rights and social issues in relation to all the Celtic countries and penal affairs falls within that remit.

Turning to the comments in the final paragraph of your letter I would respond as follows – If the Celtic League receives concerns from individual prisoners in any of the Celtic countries we would advise them to utilise the internal processes in the first instance. If the issue raised gave rise to a more general concern about prison policy we would raise it with the relevant authority and thereafter with any appropriate regional or international rights body.

I am pleased to record that in our dealings with prison and justice departments in Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man we have always had a positive response and we are aware that robust checks and balances are now in place. However I am sure you will agree that this has not always been the case and it is only via the actions of rights bodies, NGOs and concerned politicians that the current situation has been achieved. Indeed in one area of interest to the Celtic League (Brittany) the situation vis a vis prison standards still falls short of what now prevails in these islands.

I trust this clarification is helpful.

Yours sincerely”

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

10/07/11

Tags: Celtic League, Letters, Magahaberry Prison
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Maghaberry: Independant Enquiry Call

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

MAGHABERRY: INDEPENDENT ENQUIRY CALL

The Celtic League has called on the NI Minister for Justice, David Ford MLA, to set up an independent enquiry into the situation at Maghaberry Prison which has been the subject of controversy for several years. (See below):

“Minister of Justice
David Ford MLA
Department of Justice
Castle Buildings – Stormont Estate
Belfast – Northern Ireland
BT4 3SG

28/0810

Dear Minister,

At its AGM in July (held on the Isle of Man) the Celtic League considered the ongoing difficulties in relation to the operation of Maghaberry Prison.

The AGM had the benefit of being able to resource a very substantial letter on the situation at the Prison which had been provided following an approach to your predecessor the Northern Ireland Prison Minister. (Correspondence – 14 page letter from NIPS to the Celtic League dated 14 May 2010).

However it was clear at the time of our meeting that serious difficulties persisted at Maghaberry and the AGM decided to call for an:

“open and transparent independent public enquiry into Maghaberry Prison in the North of Ireland following constant complaints by inmates of human rights abuses.”

I note that earlier this month the situation at the jail fortuitously was stabilised however I would suggest that independent oversight as implied by the above resolution would be beneficial in ensuring a long term solution to issues at the jail.

I trust that you will give this suggestion early consideration.

Yours Sincerely,

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information”

Maghaberry: Independent Enquiry Needed Into Prison Regime

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Concerns about the ongoing problems at Maghaberry prison in Northern Ireland were reported on at the Celtic League in Mannin (Isle of Man) last weekend.

Both the General Secretary (GS) and Director of Information (DOI) provided information on correspondence which the League has exchanged with the British authorities, medical governance bodies and the Council of Europe (CPT).

The DOI said that despite a fairly comprehensive (10 page) response by the NI Prison Service to the League about issues raised it was clear that there were fundamental difficulties in the operation of the prison regime that should be
the subject of independent scrutiny.

The AGM eventually adopted a resolution moved by the Cornish branch of the League which has actively protested over the Maghaberry situation in the past few months.

The text of the resolution is set out below:

“This AGM calls for an open and transparent independent public enquiry into Maghaberry Prison in the North of Ireland following constant complaints by inmates of human rights abuses.”

The GS and National branches were urged to press the UK, Irish and pan European rights bodies to ensure effect is given to the resolution.

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

12/07/10

Tags: Annual General Meeting (AGM), Ireland, Magahaberry Prison, Prison
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Magahaberry prison: Ombudsman Report

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The Prisons Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has published a detailed report following an investigation into a number of complaints from those held in Maghaberry Prison.

Maghaberry Prison has recently been a cause of concern to the Celtic League who have raised issues relating to the treatment of prisoners with both the UK prison authorities and International Rights bodies.

Last month the NI Prison Service (NIPS) responded in some detail to our concerns and a copy of this can be found at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3371

The Prisons Ombudsman’s report can be found at:

http://www.niprisonerombudsman.gov.uk/downloads/RoeHouseReport.PDF

The report in our view is self explanatory and bears out the concerns that the Celtic League and others have articulated.

In the light of the report we believe the previous position as outlined by NIPS, whilst not disingenuous, indicates a degree of complacency which may have caused the situation at the prison to be exacerbated.

NIPS are apparently committed to implementing the recommendations of the Ombudsman and, when completed, we believe that this should achieve a more equitable regime for both prisoners (and relatives) and prison staff.

However the situation will continue to need to be monitored.

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

13/06/10

Tags: Magahaberry Prison, Prison, Prisoners
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