Ford defends Maghaberry searches
Dissident republican prisoners in Maghaberry jail are involved in a dirty protest over the use of strip searches, but the Justice Minister is adamant they are necessary for the safety of all those in the prison.
The inmates believe full body searches on entering and leaving the prison are against their rights.
Last August, following talks between the NI Prison Service and inmates, an agreement was reached to end random full-body searching before domestic and legal visits.
But David Ford said the current threat to prison officers from Óglaigh na hÉireann means security must be stepped up.
“The agreement did cover a reduction in full body searching within the prison and that has been implemented, but the rules across the UK are absolutely the same. There has to be a full body search on entering and leaving the prison,” he said.
“There are still threats being made against prison officers on some dissident republican websites and that’s clearly a breach of that agreement.
“One of the prisoners took a judicial review against the prison service and the judge has basically said that rule is a valid rule to protect the welfare and safety of those in prisons, whether prisoners or prison officers.”
Vice-chair of the Justice Committee, Sinn Féin’s Raymond McCartney, has told UTV Live Tonight he deplored the impasse.
“There’s been good will on both sides and I think this type of threat from the outside, in my opinion, only gets in the way,” he said.
“There is no room for threat in this. This is all about trying to bring about humane and dignify conditions within Maghaberry prison.
“The minister needs to watch, perhaps, taking fixed positions in this.”
The Alliance minister agrees improvements must still be made in the way that prisons are run.
“We saw, when there was a protest over the time that prisoners were locked down a couple of weeks ago, that they did not get their way. They were forced to comply with the rules and, having started to behave themselves better, there was a slight relaxation back to the terms of the August agreement,” Mr Ford said.
“That is a measure of saying we will ensure that the prison is run properly and safely, and if people conform to that we will treat them as reasonably as we can.”
Lagan Valley DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said Mr Ford must not give in to prisoners.
“Prison staff sense if further compromises are made we will be back to where we were with the Maze prison.
“Not just compromising security but also giving these terrorist inmates the freedom of the separated units and we were assured when the units were created by the NIO that this would never happen.
“I don’t believe this is about the rights of the prisoners, it’s about prisoners running the prison and that is not on.
“These prisoners are in prison for good reason and if we hand over control of them to their own units then we leave prison staff in a very vulnerable condition and I think that would be a very dangerous road to take.”
Prison protest
Interview: Raymond McCartney
