Maginness: Patten for prisons desperately needed
SDLP Justice Spokesperson Alban Maginness has said the Justice Minister needs to show leadership and bring about a Patten style reform of the prison service.
The North Belfast MLA said: “The prison service needs a complete overhaul in order to transform the security culture and bring about a new system based on the principles of the reform and rehabilitation of offenders.
“The SDLP is calling on the minister to face down any vested interests that are opposed to genuine and sustained reform of the prison regime and management.
“To date, all he has done is implement the Hillsborough Agreement‘s commitment to a review but has taken no effective action to try and get at least some interim improvement in the situation within our prisons.
“We are also disappointed that the Justice Minister has rejected the desperate need for a Patten type review for prisons without considering options as to how this could be achieved in the current financial climate.
“The recent erroneous releases and deaths in custody all highlight the urgent need for fundamental prison reform and leadership from the minister on this crucial issue.”
