Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney
SINN Féin vice-Chair of the Assembly Justice Committee, Raymond McCartney MLA has described the report into the operation of the North’s Prisons as a “damning indictment” of the Prison Service failures.
The report said Maghaberry jail was the “most dangerous” prison ever inspected.
And it said the prison was in a “state of crisis”, with some prisoners being locked up all day, drugs rife on the landings and morale among staff very poor.
Mr McCartney said: “This report is a damning indictment of the Prison Service failures particularly in Maghaberry.
“It highlights a lack of leadership at senior level, resistance to change, concerns around Health care provision, endemic absenteeism among other serious failings.
“Prison service administration must at all times be delivered in a human rights compliant manner and every one of the findings in this report has a negative impact on the human rights of prisoners as well as the working environment for prison staff..
“This is just the latest in a litany of reports to highlight similar failings and it must not just become another addition to the existing library of reports that sit on a shelf until another incident occurs to trigger another investigation.
“The issues underscored in this report must be fully addressed and implemented and just as importantly be seen to have been addressed without further delay.
“I am calling on the Justice Committee to request that the Minister appear before it to answer the serious issues raised by this Report.”
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