04 May 2006

Segregated prison costs highlighted in report

A new report by the Criminal Justice System has highlighted the extensive costs of segregating loyalist and republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail near Lisburn.

The report revealed that it was almost twice as expensive to hold a prisoner there than in high security jails in the rest of the UK.

The joint report was compiled by HM Chief Inspector of prisons and the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, which found that the average cost of keeping each inmate in a Northern Ireland prison was £86,000 per year and the cost of housing them at Maghaberry was higher again.

It is understood that the segregated prisoners represent around 10% of the prison population, however the report states that other inmates are suffering because of this in both monetary terms and the provision of services.

The report stated that the number of prison officers required to man the separated correctional facilities means that other prisoners were more likely to be confined to their cells for longer periods of time and therefore have less chance to benefit from recreational and educational opportunities.

Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Kit Chivers, has said that Maghaberry is a complex, maximum security prison which is costly to maintain and resource.

He added: "Yet this degree of security is not necessary for many prisoners, such as fine defaulters and other short term prisoners.

"If other accommodation existed, the needs of these prisoners could be catered for more economically and more effectively in a less secure facility. This is a problem of having a small prison estate."

It has been revealed that inspectors made 171 recommendations for improvement for Maghaberry and the Prison Service have published an action plan to accompany the report.

Speaking on the report, Security Minister Shaun Woodward said that 153 of the recommendations had been accepted in full or in part and compelling reasons had been given for not accepting the remainder.

Mr Woodward welcomed the report and said that he had identified areas of good practice while highlighting a number of areas where the regime could be made better.

He said: "It is fair to say that the higher staff/prisoner ratio levels in the Separate Regime impact to some degree on the rest of the prison. However, separation is key to the maintenance of good order and it is vital that prison officers remain in control at all times."

He added that it was also true to say separation impacted on the running costs of the jail - something the minister described as "fully justified".

Alan Longwell, Governor of Maghaberry Prison, said that his staff would carry out the recommendations with "vigour and determination."

Mr Longwell said: "Indeed some of them have already been implemented and work is ongoing in progressing the remainder."

Maghaberry Prison houses both paramilitary and non-paramilitary prisoners, male and female, as well as prisoners who are on remand.

(EF/SP)