APPENDIX 7
Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Board of Visitors, HMP Maghaberry
In our report for last year we expressed our
concern about the holding arrangements for immigration detainees.
In the ensuing year we are pleased to note that the regime has
been modified and improved. The Board of Visitors however remains
convinced that Immigration Detainees should not be held in a prison.
Accordingly it is recommended that alternative
non-prison accommodation should be provided for such detainees
but in the interim it is our recommendation that special training
in line with that provided in other parts of the United Kingdom
should be given to the prison officers who work with them.
The BoV notes the Home Secretary's policy decision
not to jail short term fine defaulters in England and Wales and
once again would urge constructive alternatives to imprisonment
for such offenders in NI. This could undoubtedly have a significant
effect on the unacceptable levels of overcrowding of the prison.
The BoV expresses its concern that the Prison
Service's stated aim "To enable all prisoners to retain links
with their families" was seriously undermined by a series
of problems. These included: failure to effectively run and operate
the booked visits system; delays to visits taking place; delays
to planned refurbishment of the visits areas and lack of adequate
training for staff interfacing with the public. The introduction
of a new PIN operated telephone system for prisoners has been
fraught with difficulties and plagued by technical problems. This
has caused real anger and frustration on the part of both the
prison population and prisoners' families and has been compounded
by high levels of lockdown due to unavailability of adequate staffing
levels to consistently operate effective regimes. The failure
to provide an adequate and consistent letter censoring arrangement
to process mail has also been a constant source of complaint and
frustration. The whole situation is viewed as totally unacceptable.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons conducted a full
announced inspection of the prison during May 2002. In the Inspection
Report HM Prison Maghaberry is described as the most complex and
diverse prison establishment in the United Kingdom.
This uniquely complex institution provides a
challenging environment for all who work in it, including the
BoV.
A main focus for the work of the BoV is the
welfare of prisoners. Each member makes regular planned visits
to the prison. During a visit the member deals with requests from
prisoners on any matter likely to affect the welfare of the prisoners
either individually or collectively. Members also engage with
prison staff and the range of other agencies and professional
staff who work in the prison and welcome the opportunity this
provides to discuss matters of mutual concern. Issues or problems
observed or to which attention is drawn affecting the welfare
of prisoners are communicated to senior prison management. This
is normally done by contacting the relevant Senior Officer, Governor
or through a written query that is forwarded for written response
to the appropriate authority. Members make a point of following
up and responding to prisoner queries as quickly as possible,
an aim occasionally thwarted by delay in receiving a helpful response
from management.
Because of its complexity, Maghaberry Prison
makes exceedingly heavy demands of its staff. The Governor and
his Senior Management Team need a wide range of well-honed skills
based on extensive operational experience. Fundamentally, they
need to be extremely competent in dealing with all of the people
who contribute to the effective and efficient operation of the
institution. These people, the majority of whom are prison officers,
are the main asset of the service. Their skill, expertise and
experience need to be engaged to the fullest possible extent.
The BoV strongly urges senior management to use all possible means
to encourage and support these prison officers. The BoV would
wish to acknowledge the unstinting support of prison officers,
many of whom display consummate professionalism in their dealing
with prisoners.
The Board of Visitors observes that there is
currently significant tension in the relationship between Prison
Service Headquarters and the Prison Governor on the one hand and
the Prison Officers' Association (POA), on the other.
This derives in large part from another feature
of Maghaberry Prison. The present staffing level is said to be
more than twice the average for prisons elsewhere in the United
Kingdom. This results in an annual average cost for each prisoner
place of £75,000 compared to £32,000. There are historical
reasons for this major apparent difference but as the transition
is made to a more "normal" society in Northern Ireland
pressure is understandably increasing to reduce these costs. Inevitably,
if costs are to reduce, staffing levels are likely to be under
scrutiny.
Despite the apparent numerical overstaffing,
there are frequently difficulties in deploying adequate manpower
to maintain the normal prison regime. This often results in serious
disruption including cancellation of visits, education classes,
vocational and recreational activities and arbitrary lockdown
of prisoners, sometimes for lengthy periods. Planned appointments
between prisoners and medical staff are abandoned on occasions
thus incurring substantial waste both of money and scarce medical
staffing resources. This anomalous position seems to be caused
by a combination of very large numbers of prison officers being
on sick leave at any one time and what appear to be somewhat anachronistic
working practices such as the four-day working week arrangement.
In attempting to manage this situation the Governor
is at a serious disadvantage as he appears to have no power to
alter or significantly influence the negotiations of changes to
terms and conditions of working. It is understood that this authority
is vested in PSHQ. Moreover, it appears that there is a serious
breakdown in confidence between the POA and PSHQ. Monthly sick
leave statistics are a matter of great concern to the Board and
to date no concerted effective drive appears to have been made
to address this fundamental problem.
The POA full time official, Mr Finlay Spratt,
met with the BoV recently and made very clear that relationships
between the POA and PSHQ were, in his opinion, in a grim state.
Mr Spratt did however claim to recognise the need to address the
fundamental problems as outlined above but said that he had no
confidence in management's present tactics.
It is strongly recommended that steps be taken
by PSHQ to open up better lines of communication to allow more
effective sharing of responsibility for the issues that must be
resolved. The apparent present impasse is clearly not acceptable.
CONCLUSION
It is hoped that these comments will help to
focus attention on some issues whose resolution is seen by the
Board of Visitors to be vital to the satisfactory functioning
of the prison.
This report is a combined effort by all members
of the Board of Visitors. It records the views of a unique group
of dedicated volunteers. The work done by each member during the
year has been substantial. Working together as a Board of Visitors
and individually, members make an enormous contribution to the
overall welfare of prisoners. The only recognition they seek is
to know that the professional managers who run the prison take
their views seriously.
I wish to record my personal thanks to the Vice
Chairman and the Training Officer. Each has been a real friend
during some very difficult times. The Editor of the report has
also added considerable value to its style and presentation. Thanks
also to the Secretariat. Finally thank you to each member. Their
support made the job of Chairman possible to do. I am indeed privileged
to have worked with an amazing group of caring people who represent
all that is good in our society.
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