NI PRISONS REPORT DOWNTURN IN VIOLENCE

LEVELS of prison violence in Northern Ireland have dramatically dropped this year according to a new prison service annual report.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service’s annual report reveals that major disturbances characteristic of previous years, when large groups of paramilitary groups were incarcerated, have decreased significantly.

A Prison Service spokesman said it was clear that the atmosphere inside the prisons had radically changed: “The number of breaches of order and control have reduced considerably and there have been fewer serious incidents. If you have 400 fewer prisoners it is certainly a contributory factor.”

The past two years have seen a radical shake-up of the prison service in Northern Ireland. The Maze prison closed and vast numbers of terrorist prisoners were released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. This ultimately ended in over 1000 job losses.

The annual report reveals that the service reduced its annual running cost by 36 per cent, reduced sickness days by almost 30 per cent and improved living conditions and educational opportunities.

The Director General of the Service Robin Halward said: “The conditions and regimes provided for prisoners in Northern Ireland compare favourably with any other prison system. There is no overcrowding, prisoners enjoy comprehensive regimes and work, while prison staff have benefited from an average of over eight days training and development during the year. This was achieved against the backdrop of a 36 per cent reduction in running costs.

Minister of State Jane Kennedy said: “This report represents the improvement made in achieving targets during a very testing period of change.” (AMcE)