Construction of New Wing at Maghaberry
The Construction of a new Wing in Maghaberry Gaol indicates the future intentions of the British and Stormont Governments.
The Wing is being built beside Roe House, which houses Republican Prisoners. The number of Political Prisoners in Roe has been steadily increasing since the beginning of 2012. To cope with the numbers, the Prison Administration has ‘ordered’ POWs’ there to ‘double-up’, with two POWs’ allocated to one cell.
In August 2010, the POWs’, Prison Regime and Stormont’s ‘Justice’ Department collectively agreed to end controlled movement and strip-searching. Within a few months however, Republican Prisoners were still forced to endure the indignity of stripping and constantly being surrounded and escorted by four to five Screws to intimidate them. As a result, the POWs’ had no choice to resume protest action in opposition to the above injustices. Since then, the vast majority of Political Prisoners (apart from those who have existing medical problems) in Maghaberry have been involved in a dirty protest. In recent months, David Ford (Stormont’s Justice Minister) announced that his Department is piloting a new Technological Alternative to physical Strip-Searching. Hopefully, this new Scheme will be implemented soon.
Maghaberry and it’s Regime has been criticised by numerous British officials and Human Rights organisations over the years. In the way it treats it’s prisoners and their families outside. The Gaol is manned by sectarian Screws who are organised through it’s racist Prisoner Officers Association (POA). Who regularly brutalise and mistreat Prisoners in particular, POWs’.
The construction of a new Wing/House in the complex is not to alleviate overcrowding in Roe House. It is because, the British and Stormont Governments are expecting a huge increase in the number of Republican Prisoners. In spite of, empty rhetoric from Politicians that the Nationalist and Republican community in the Six County State now have equality. The same people still have to suffer under Special Political Police, a special detention centre, special legislation, Internment and Diplock (Non-Jury) Courts. All used to quell legitimate opposition to British rule, Partition and the denial of Irish national sovereignty.
Obviously, Maghaberry’s new Wing will ‘greet’ future POWs’. Who will be Interned without Trial, Interned on Remand, facing Political charges based on secret ‘evidence’ collected by MI5, RUC/PSNI and British Army Operatives. A clear indication of what the future intentions are of the British Government, fourteen years into a so-called Peace Process.
