Tag: Prison officer

Female Prison officer attacked in Maghaberry Goal

The incident happened on Monday.
The incident happened on Monday.

March 13 2017

A prison officer is being treated in hospital after being attacked at Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim.

The woman, who is understood to be one of the newer officers, was taken to hospital after the incident involving a male inmate on Monday.

The prison officer is reported to have suffered a serious neck wound and was taken to the Ulster hospital.

Police have said her condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

It’s understood the woman was attacked with a weapon “made from a razor”.

The incident has been referred to the PSNI.

Adrian Smith from the Prison Officers Association (POA) told the Belfast Telegraph: “The woman has a three-inch gash below her left ear on the neck, it’s a pretty deep wound.

“Anybody knows the difficult and dangerous job that prison officers do and it’s getting more and more dangerous with cuts to prison service budget and staffing levels.

“Unfortunately things like this will happen more often.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said:  “A prison officer has suffered a serious injury following an assault by a prisoner in Maghaberry this afternoon. The Prison Service utterly condemns this attack and has referred the incident to the PSNI.”

Chief Inspector Jonathan Wilson said: “At approximately 5:47 pm this evening police received reports of an incident during which a female prison officer was assaulted.

“The prison officer was taken to hospital where her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.  Enquiries are ongoing.”

 

Red Cross to chair forum seeking solution to Maghaberry dispute.

Red Cross to chair forum seeking solution to Maghaberry dispute.

THE International Committee of the Red Cross has agreed to chair a prison forum involving republican inmates in a bid to ease tensions at a Co Antrim jail.

The Red Cross took on the role after being asked by justice minister David Ford and receiving the backing of republican prisoners in Maghaberry. The involvement of the internationally recognised humanitarian organisation comes after years of conflict at the high security prison. The establishment of the forum was recommended by an independent ‘stocktake’ published last year. However, republican inmates refused to take part in the forum after a former member of the prison’s Board of Visitors, Tom Millar, was appointed as chairman without consultation. It is understood both prisoners and senior jail officials will take part in the forum which will discuss the stocktake. Republican prisoners are currently held in the prison’s Roe Four and Roe Three landings. The forum will be chaired by Geoff Loane, who is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) head of office in Belfast. “The ICRC believes such a role fits within the organisation’s humanitarian mandate and is compatible with its fundamental principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality,” he said.
“After having consulted on this matter, the ICRC accepted the position of chair for a six-month period on the basis that all parties to the forum agree to the ICRC taking up the role. He said the forum is “now addressing substantive issues on the basis of an agreed agenda.” In the past Mr Loane has overseen ICRC visits to the US-run Guantanamo Bay. He has also worked in conflict zones including the Balkans, Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The Red Cross has been active in the North of Ireland since the 1950s and undertook prison visits until 1999, a year after the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was signed. The Geneva-based organisation set up a full-time office in Belfast in 2011. Last year’s stocktake was carried out by an independent assessment team appointment by justice minister David Ford to look at a deal struck in 2010 to relax strip searches and controlled movement in the prison. Republicans claim that authorities have failed to implement the 2010 agreement. They also say that prison chiefs have failed to act on the last year’s stocktake. In 2012 republican prisoners ended a no-wash protest weeks after prison officer David Black was shot dead by the ‘IRA’ as he travelled to work at Maghaberry prison along the M1 Motorway. Tensions in the jail boiled over earlier this year after prisoners claimed that movement was restricted during building work. Last week republicans held protests after claims that two inmates were forcibly moved from their cells. A spokesman for the DoJ said: “The minister of justice has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to act as independent chair to the prisoners forums for separated prisoners. “The ICRC has agreed to this request in its neutral and impartial role.” Mandy Duffy from the Irish Republican Prisoners’ Welfare Association (IRPWA) said: “Republican  political prisioners will not be drawn into a situation which is all process and no progress even if it is chaired by an independent body such as ICRC.” Connla Young, The Irish News. For the oranginal story.

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ADAMS TO MEET FAMILY OF MURDERED PRISON OFFICER

” The family of prison officer Brian Stack asked me to meet them and this will take place on Thursday evening”- Gerry Adams.

SINN Fein president Gerry Adams will tommorow meet the family  IRA victim Brian Stack – the only prison officer ever to be assassinated in the Republic. The face-to-face meeting is to be held in Leinster House at 5.30pm.

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It follows a request from Mr Stack’s family who have been campaigning for decades for hisk killer to be identified. Mr Adams said they are not the first family he has meet who have been “in this same situation”. “Some were victims of the IRA. Others were killed as a result of collusion between British state forces and loyalist death squads, or by the British Army and RUC, the UDR and other armed groups,” the Louth TD said. “The grief and trauma suffered by all these families is the same. “The family of Prison Officer Brian Stack asked me to meet them and this will take place on Thursday evening.

In their request for a meeting, the family said they were : “Looking for answers and closure and in no way are seeking any form of revenge. “From our perspective an admission of responsibility accompanied by details of the reasoning for the act by those concerned would provide that. Mr Adams said he is “happy” to meet the family, but could not “raise expectation” that Sinn Fein leadership will be able to “resolve these particular matters”. Brian Stack was Chief Prison Officer at Portlaoise jail when he was shot in the back of the neck as he left a boxing match at the National Stadium, in Dublin in March 1983. He was left paralysed and brain damaged following the attack and died from his injuries 18 months later, aged 47.

With many thanks to : Bimpe Archer, Irish News.

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DISSIDENT EX-PRISONER HAS RELEASE LICENSE REVOKED

Tough new approach by NIO

” The government will not hesitate to use all the powers at its disposalaccder the law to counter the residual terrorist threat ” – Mike Penning.

A FORMER Republican prisoner accused of supplying a car to the killers of prison officer David Black has had his release licence revoked. Damien McLaughlin (36) from Kilmascally Road, Ardboe, in Co Tyrone was told last week that his governmentrelease from prison, where he had served a sentence for firearms offences, has been overturned.

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It is believed  to be the first time a former republican prisoner convicted of an offence committed after the Provisional IRA‘s 1994 ceasefire has had their release licence revoked. McLaughlin is on remand in Maghaberry Prison charged in connection with the shooting of Mr Black by dissident republicans last November. He is accused of being involved in transporting a car belived to have been used in the attack into the from Co Litrim. McLaughlin denies the charge of ‘ preparation of a terrorest-act ‘. Mr Black, a father-of-two, died after gunmen opened fire on his Audi car as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison.The attack took place on the M1 near Lurgan, Co Armagh. A group styling itself ‘ the IRA ‘ later admitted responsability for the attack. In 2011 McLaughlin was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for weapons offences dating back to 2009. He pleaded guilty to possessing two rifles, a sawn-off shotgun and ammuntion. He also admitted having two silencers, a magazine and two telescopic sights. The haul was discovered in a rucksack liner in the boot of his car which was parked outside the house where he lived at the time. He was released later in 2011 on conditation he serve the remainder on probatition and after serving some time on remand. In September last year he received a suspended jail sentence after being convicted of damaging his cell at Maghaberry Prison during a republican prison protest.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said the decision to revoke McLaughlin’s release licence was taken after a recommendation from the Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland that ” he poses a risk of harm to the public which can no longer be safely managed in the community “. NIO junior minister Mike Penning, who revoked the licence on behalf of Secretary of State Teresa Villiers said : ” The government will not hesitate to use all the powers at its disposal under the law to counter the residual terrorist threat.” Mr McLaughlin’s solicitor Peter Corrigan said his client will ” be challenging the legality of the revocation “. UUP justice spokesman Tom Elliot defended the move. ” At this particular time there is a suspected connection with a serious incident which is murder and obviously they need to take all reasonable precautions in those cases,” he said. Two other republicans, Marian Price-McGlinchey and Martin Corey , are also being held in prison after having their release licences revoked. Price (58) was originally jailed for her part in the 1973 Old Baily bombing and released in 1980. However, her relese licence was revoked in 2011 by then Secretary of State Owen Paterson. Corey (63) from Lurgan in Co Armagh was convicted of killing two RUC men in11973 and released from prison in 1992. His licence was revoked in April 2010, again by Owen Paterson.

With many thanks to : Connia Young, Irish News.

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Prison union calls for strip searches rethink

Finlay Spratt, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Prison Officer's Association Northern Ireland. Picture by Brian Little

Finlay Spratt, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Prison Officer‘s Association Northern Ireland. Picture by Brian Little

THE prison officers’ union has called for a rethink on the routine use of full body searches in Ulster’s jails.

Finlay Spratt of the Prison Officers Association (POA) believes the practice can never be dispensed with completely, but is angry at the lack of progress on introducing new technology.

The POA chairman described the justice minister’s failure to introduce state-of-the-art search equipment as “completely unacceptable” – claiming the delays were causing unnecessary tensions within our prisons.

“The governor of a prison must always reserve the right to authorise a full body search but, in this day and age, there’s no excuse for not introducing the type of search equipment used in airports,” Mr Spratt said.

“If these new machines are good enough to stop people bringing things on to aeroplanes, with hundreds of people on board, then they should be adequate for prison establishments.”

Republican groups have been campaigning for an end to strip searches for some time and have found an unlikely ally in the prison officers’ union.

“The fact is, the prison officers on the wings have to deal with the problems caused by these decisions which are not of their making, yet they are the ones who bear the brunt of the backlash,” Mr Spratt said.

The NI Prison Service is currently undergoing a radical overhaul following recommendations made by a review panel.

Although the POA agrees with the vast majority of the suggested changes, Mr Spratt is opposed to some aspects of the process.

“The arrogant attitude of senior management in implementing the changes is breathtaking. The whole prison review process is overly expensive, yet they’re creating an impression that the existing prison officers themselves are poor value for money,” he said.

“The proposed £18,000 starting salary for the new custody officers does not reflect the true nature of the job, particularly for those required to work with protesting republican prisoners in Maghaberry.

“A prison officer in the Republic will be earning double that of a new custody officer in Northern Ireland.”

Mr Spratt said almost 600 officers had volunteered for redundancy due to low morale.

“The review is a waste of public money. We already have a highly-paid director general yet they’re paying over £130,000 to a ‘change manager,’ as well as other staff, to oversee the process.

“They’re also forcing through unpopular shift changes based on a private sector model and the whole process will achieve very little other than create more jobs for civil servants.”

And he added: “As well as that, we feel we’re being used as a political football and that our history is being taken away from us at every turn.”

A spokeswoman for the NI Prison Service said “alternative technologies” to body searches were being explored including the possibility of low-dose X-ray technology.

In relation to the cost of the prisons’ review she said: “Reviews completed to date have demonstrated that there are widespread efficiencies and savings which can be implemented without detriment and indeed with improvements to front-line services. The current cost of delivering services is highly disproportionate due to the high salary levels for existing prison officers.”

The spokeswoman added: “The starting salary for new custody officers is highly competitive within the local and national markets. Those who successfully complete the first year will progress over a number of years to the top of the scale at £23,000 which compares very favourably with other jurisdictions. The role also carries additional benefits in pension, security of employment and future promotion prospects.”

WITH MANY THANKS TO : THE NEWSLETTER.

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Northern Ireland prison officer recruitment drive launched

Prison officer locking cell door The prison service wants 540 officers to retire early to make way for new recruits on lower salaries
 
The Northern Ireland Prison Service will launch a recruitment drive on Thursday for up to 200 new staff.

It is the first recruitment campaign for prison officers in Northern Ireland for more than 20 years.

The new recruits will replace prison officers leaving as part of a redundancy scheme.

So far 371 officers have volunteered to leave and that number is expected to rise by the time applications close on Friday.

There are more than 1,700 prison officers in Northern Ireland and the prison service wants 540 of them to retire early to make way for new recruits on lower salaries.

The redundancy scheme has been introduced for officers aged over 50. Many qualify for a lump sum payment of more than £100,000, plus an annual pension of £18,500.

From Thursday, up to 200 jobs will be available for custody officers, who will be responsible for maintaining security and supervising the movement of prisoners.

Prison officers who take redundancy can apply to be re-employed in the new roles.

But sources say that’s unlikely to happen, because the new jobs won’t be as financially attractive.

On-the-job trainingThe new custody officers will start on a salary of £18,000 – rising to a maximum of £23,000.

The prison officers targeted in the redundancy scheme earn up to £38,000 a year.

Applicants will also have have to pass a number of tests to be short-listed for further assessment, and those appointed will undergo regular on-the-job training and testing to move up the salary scale.

Unlike the Patten reforms of policing, there will not be a 50-50 recruitment process, but advertisements will welcome applications from Catholics, who currently make up 10% of the prison service workforce.

They will also target women, who account for 22% of staff.

The redundancy scheme and recruitment of new staff are key parts of a fundamental programme of reforms for a prison service that has been widely criticised in recent years.

The aim is a new approach as well as new faces.

With Thanks To : By Vincent Kearney BBC NI home affairs correspondent

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