The challenge of ending the separation of paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland’s jails should not be underestimated, MPs have been told.
Ronnie Armour, the director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, said the number of segregated prisoners had reduced to 36 and that the ultimate ambition would be to end the practice.
Mr Armour also told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee how prison officers continue to live under a severe threat of attack.
Read more: John Major says Britain made a “colossal mistake” when it left the European Union
The committee is carrying out an inquiry into the impact of paramilitarism. MPs asked about the separation of loyalist and republican paramilitaries from each other and from the general prison population.
Mr Armour said: “When I took over as director general in 2017 it was in the aftermath of a number of very significant events. The murder of two outstanding prison officers, David Black in 2012 and Adrian Ismay in 2016, and the difficult Maghaberry inspection report of 2015.
“One of the findings that report highlighted was the impact that separation has on the operation of Maghaberry Prison.
“I think it is fair to say that less than 3% of the Maghaberry population is in separated accommodation but the then chief inspector of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate concluded that in terms of the deployment of resources, the tail was very much wagging the dog.”
He added: “Today in our care we have a total of 36 individuals who would be in separation. That is broken down with 15 who would affiliate to loyalism, 18 males affiliating to dissident republicanism and then we have three females as well. The numbers in separation are significantly down in recent years.”
He added: “Bringing separation to an end is something we should all aspire to achieve. That is the ultimate aim of the prison service.
“While separation places a significant demand on the resources of the prison service, and it undoubtedly does, the challenge of ending it should not be underestimated.
“The NI Affairs Committee in 2004 concluded it was very likely that separation will have to remain in place as long as there are any prisoners in Northern Ireland who can reasonably claim a paramilitary affiliation.
“They said that would be a very long time, almost 20 years on I think they have been proven to be correct. A phased approach would seem to be a more preferable way forward when the time was right.”
Conservative MP Sir Robert Goodwill said: “You mentioned the two terrible murders. To what extent do prison officers, and particularly their families, still live with the impact of the Troubles and ongoing threats against their person?”
Mr Armour said: “Unfortunately, prison staff remain under a severe level of threat. The threat level has been unchanged against prison staff since 2012 following the murder of David Black. That means an attack is highly likely.
“Prison staff are living under that cloud and that challenge on a daily basis. There is absolutely no justification for this but sadly the threat is very real to prison staff.
“They have seen two colleagues murdered in the last 10 years, others have been targeted and a number of staff have had to move home because of the threat pertaining to them.
“Many of my colleagues have been afforded physical home security measures at their home addresses and all prison officers can be issued with a personal protection weapon on application to the ( PSNI ) chief constable. The threat remains a very significant concern.”
READ NEXT:
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee told young people getting drug debts cut if they riot
Shankill research project gives voice to district's children and young people
Paramilitary attack victims tell report authors of lives blighted by violence
- Sadness as North Belfast family centre to close after '40 years of helping parents and children'
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
