Maghaberry Prison Conditions 'Turned Around'

Maghaberry Prison, Northern Ireland's high security facility, is no longer unsafe and unstable after making significant progress, an inspection report has revealed.

Three years ago, an inspection deemed the facility a highly dangerous jail, but a recent examination by Criminal Justice Inspection (CJI) NI and Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales, Peter Clarke, found that it is now a safer, more settled environment for prisoners and staff.

In contrast to the chaotic and unpredictable daily regime observed in the last study, daily life within the facility has transformed, according to the report.

The latest inspection in April 2018 was "immensely encouraging", according to Brendan McGuigan, Chief Inspector of CJI NI and Mr Clarke.

"We pay tribute to the work undertaken to date by staff and the senior management team at the prison and the leadership provided within the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) for what they have achieved," said the Chief Inspectors. 

"The prison has settled considerably and in terms of its operation and outcomes for prisoners, it was in a different place compared to 2015. Staff and prisoner relationships had transformed and Inspectors found motivated, enthusiastic prison staff who were doing excellent work with the men in their care," said Mr McGuigan.

Improvements include the use of first names becoming the norm within the facility, and previous 'no go' areas, such as association spaces and exercise yards, now regularly patrolled by staff.

Efforts to reduce the supply and use of illegal drugs are also believed to be developing, with the 'zero tolerance' approach adopted by management leading to a reduction in the availability of illicit drugs.

"The overall picture of safety had progressed hugely and Maghaberry felt much safer at the time of this inspection. Levels of violence and disorder had reduced and were now lower than would be usually seen in similar prisons in England and Wales," said Mr Clarke.

The Chief Inspectors added that they were highly impressed by the work undertaken to reintegrate prisoners, who had been living in segregated conditions for long periods of time, back into the main prison population.

Despite the immense progress, more work is required to support those who are most at risk within the facility.

"We recognise efforts to support men who were vulnerable to self-harm had moved on and the Prisoner Support and Safety Team was engaged in good work in this area, but further progress is required," said Mr McGuigan.

"More must be done to implement and embed into operational practice the recommendations made by the Prisoner Ombudsman's Office in its death-in-custody reports," he continued, and highlighted that prison is not a therapeutic environment for those requiring mental health support and care.

"We also recommend the use of observation cells and strip clothing - which can add to isolation and distress for vulnerable men - should be reduced, and a more caring approach which seeks to understand and address the underlying causes of vulnerability and incidents of self-harm be adopted," added Mr Clarke.

In addition, health care inspectors found that staff morale and leadership within health care had improved and that progress had been made in relation to provision of appropriate services to treat chronic diseases and the management of staff shortages.

The Ulster Unionist Party's Justice Spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA welcomed the findings and emphasised the importance of further work to ensure prison staff feel valued and listened to.

He said: "I am encouraged by the new Criminal Justice Inspection report on HMP Maghaberry. I would echo the report where it says that the leadership of the Prison has been excellent and that staff are professional, motivated and engaging in a positive manner. I would go further in saying that the staff are the absolute backbone of the prison and as such deserve high praise for what they have achieved with reduced numbers and serious concerns about working practices and pay.

"This report is clearly moving in the right direction. However, it must be noted that there is a lot of room for improvement.

"It is important that the Department for Justice continues to support and resource the Northern Ireland Prison Service - its members and its key staff - so that this improvement can continue. It is important that the staff feel valued and that the right terms of service are in place with a pay deal that matches the difficult task we ask them to do on our behalf and to keep society safe.

"If, however, they decide that this just gets us out of negative headlines and we can take the foot of the accelerator, then the prison and the prison service will quickly lose the momentum that has been demonstrated in this report and the excellent leadership at HMP Maghaberry and the dedication of the staff will be undermined."