The forgotten report which could end bitter jail disputes
Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph
A report which could end the protest by republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail has gathered dust on the desk of Justice Minister, David Ford, for eight months.
The secret document – drawn up by respected individuals hand-picked by Mr Ford – lays out a clear way of ending the bitter confrontation between dissident inmates and the prison authorities.
Relations between prisoners and management at Maghberry have dramatically deteriorated over the issue of forced strip‑searching.
A group of dissident prisoners in Roe House are locked in their cells 23-hours a day. They are throwing their urine and excrement onto prison landings.
In a throwback to the worst days in Northern Ireland’s prison history, the inmates are also refusing to shave or cut their hair, giving them the appearance of the H‑Block blanketmen.
However, the main recommendation of the report – given to Mr Ford last October – indicates the confrontation could be swiftly resolved. New technology – whereby prisoners are searched with scanners and then sit in an x-ray-type machine called a BOSS chair – could bring peace to the jail, the authors suggest.
A copy of the nine-page report, which the Justice Minister hasn’t publicly released, has been obtained by the Belfast Telegraph. Ford ordered the report to assess how a deal between the prisoners and the authorities reached two months earlier – ‘the August Agreement’ – was progressing.
The report found progress in some areas but called for urgent action on outstanding issues. “The installation of two BOSS chair systems would remove the core area of contention while establishing the highest possible level of security,” the report states.
“It would guarantee a more humane search regime and reduce the stresses that arise around full body searches under current procedures.”
The report was compiled by former NIO political director, Chris McCabe; Peter Bunting, assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; and two experienced conflict resolution negotiators – Dutch woman Fleur Ravensbergen and Conal McFeely from Derry.
The Justice Department last night declined to comment specifically on why Mr Ford hadn’t implemented the report’s main recommendation. A spokeswoman would only say: “The prison service remains wholly committed to the full implementation of the August agreement.
“The assessment team have visited Maghaberry and briefed the minister. We recognise tensions remain in relation to the interpretation of the agreement regarding full body searching.”
One BOSS chair has been installed in Roe House but the second essential chair hasn’t been installed in the prison’s reception area. This means prisoners leaving and re-entering the jail for court appearances, hospital treatment, or other reasons are strip‑searched.
Ex-IRA prisoner Alec McCrory of the ‘Maghaberry Family and Friends’ group said: “If the report on David Ford’s desk was implemented and the second BOSS chair installed, the prisoners’ protest would end.
“These recommendations come from establishment figures and highly-respected trade unionists. It’s a way out for everybody. The prisoners accept the prison wants to ensure security at the jail.
“In the spirit of the agreement, if the BOSS chair indicated something wrong, or if a prison officer had intelligence a prisoner was concealing an item, then that prisoner would consent to be strip‑searched.”
The report’s authors said they were trying to create a “win-win” situation with neither the authorities nor prisoners losing face. While all 32 republican prisoners completed questionnaires distributed by the authors, only two Roe House staff did so.
Key report quotes
- “The installation of two BOSS chair systems would remove the core area of contention while establishing the highest possible level of security. It would guarantee a more humane search regime and reduce the stresses that arise around full body searches under current procedures.”
- “The process of implementing aspects of the Agreement has been inconsistent and slower than expected.”
- “A more effective use of staff resources and time management (should be) made to maximise prisoners’ access to the landing and inter-cell association.”
- “Some comments made to us suggest some staff are worried about a return to ‘a Maze prison-type regime’.”
- “The assessment team were disappointed that only two staff surveys were returned.”
- “Prisoners believe the prison service is in breach of the agreement as a direct result of the forced full-body searches of prisoners exiting or entering the prison.”
