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>> >>Subject : RESPONSES FROM NORTHERN IRELAND PRISONS >>SERVICE >> >>Date : Fri, 30 May 2003 17:33:19 +0000 >>====================================================== >= > >>IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST >>www.irishfreedomcommittee.net >>----------------------------- >> >>Subject: RESPONSES FROM NORTHERN IRELAND PRISONS >>SERVICE >>Date: 05 30 03 >> >>Many of our supporters have received offensive >>responses from the Northern Ireland Prisons Service, >>alleging that the policy of forced integration of >>republican prisoners alongside loyalists is designed >>to "reward the individual" and create "the safest >>prison regimes for both prisoners and staff". >> >>Like many of you, we find these answers condescending >>and wholly unsatisfactory. We fail to understand how >an >>atmosphere can be declared "safe" where republican >>prisoners are grossly outnumbered, routinely harassed, >>brutally attacked, and openly targeted for death. >> >>We encourage all of you to continue to lodge your >>complaints with the NIO and NIPS here: >>CRISIS AT MAGHABERRY >>http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/bb3/crisis_at_ >m >>aghaberry.htm >> >>Republican prisoners at Maghaberry are being pushed to >>the brink of endurance, and they desperately need your >>help. Please don’t allow history to repeat itself! >> >> >>The Irish Freedom Committee® >>www.irishfreedomcommittee.net >> >>************************************************ >>March 25, 2003 >> >>ATTN: Press & Communications Unit >>Northern Ireland Prison Service >> >>To whom it may concern; >> >>With all due respect, your reply here does not begin >>to address the ongoing violent physical danger these >>republican political prisoners are living under. I >>refer to several violent and brutal attacks against >>republican prisoners over the course of the past few >>years at Maghaberry Prison by the loyalist >>paramilitary prisoners you have elected to forcefully >>house them with: >> >>1. MARCH 22, 2003: Republican prisoner JJ Connolly >>seriously burned with scalding water thrown at his >>face from loyalist cell >>2. APRIL 8, 2002: Republican prisoner Ciaran >>McLaughlin viciously attacked with an electric iron, >>suffering severe lacerations and contusions to his >>body and face in a totally unprovoked attack by >>loyalists. >>3. SEPTEMBER 4, 2001: Republican prisoner John Swift >>brutally attacked with an electric iron, leaving him >>near dead. John needed 17 staples to his head and 14 >>stitches to his face after the unprovoked attack by >>loyalist paramilitary prisoners, which also left him >>with a broken wrist. >>4. OCTOBER 31, 1999: Republican prisoner Tommy Crossan >>scalded in an unprovoked attack by loyalist >>paramilitary prisoners >>5. MANY, MANY OTHER ATTACKS against Remand prisoners >>have been recorded and go unreported out of genuine >>fear against further reprisals. >> >>I am certain you will also be familiar with the PSNI >>police visits one year ago to republican prisoners at >>Maghaberry, warning them that death threats had been >>delivered against them by loyalist groups inside the >>prison. Knowing this, how does your policy of >>"treating the prisoners as individuals" explain your >decision to place these men in alongside the same >loyalist prisoners who have issued the death threats?? >Is this how loyalist paramilitary prisoners are >"rewarded for good >>behaviour"? >> >>I am entirely unclear as to how this policy of forced >>integration amongst persons and organizations who do >>not even live in the same communities on the outside >>can subsequently provide for " the safest prison >>regimes for both prisoners and staff" at Maghaberry. >>Clearly this is not anywhere near the established >definition of "safe" to house sworn enemies side by >side in close quarters; particularly in the cases of >the republican >>prisoners who are grossly outnumbered upon these >>landings, and, as we have clearly established, have >>already suffered a series of vicious attacks and are >currently living under mass death threats. >> >>Please explain to us how this policy could possibly >>"reward the individual". Your answers below are not >>remotely encouraging. >> >>Sincerely; >> >> >>The Irish Freedom Committee >>USA >> >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Northern Ireland Prison Service >>Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 8:43 AM >>To: Irish Freedom Committee >>Subject: Re: Appeal regarding Maghaberry Jail >> >> >>Irish Freedom Committee; >> >>Thank you for your recent correspondence. >> >>You seem to be labouring under a misapprehension. >> >>All prisoners in Maghaberry, regardless of their >>perceived political persuasion, are allowed to wear >>their own clothes and to associate freely within their >>accommodation block. >> >>With regard to separating prisoners who hold different >>political views, the Northern Ireland Prison Service >>firmly believes that integration provides for the >>safest prison regimes for both prisoners and staff and >>meets the Service's obligations under the Human Rights >>Act. >> >>Integration gives the Service the ability to treat >>prisoners as individuals rather than as part of a >>group and means prisoners can be rewarded for good >>behaviour thus giving each prisoner responsibility for >>his/her own actions. >> >>A fundamental tenet of Prison Rules, which are >>enshrined in legislation and have been the subject of >>democratic debate, is that all prisoners shall be >>considered individually and that all prisoners >>committed by the Courts shall be held safely and >>securely for the protection of the community and the >>interests of justice. >> >>When prisoners are segregated they act in a collective >>way which prevents treating them as individuals and >>compromises their own and staff safety. >> >>Independent reports into the Prison Service, ranging >>from the Hennessy Report to the report by Lord >>Colville and, most recently, the HMCIP report by Sir >>David Ramsbotham in 1998 arrived at the same >>conclusion. >> >>Rest assured that the safety of staff and prisoners is >>of paramount importance to the Northern Ireland Prison >>Service. >> >>Thank you for your interest. >> >>Press & Communications Unit >>Northern Ireland Prison Service >> >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Irish Freedom Committee" >>To: "Ireland Prison Service Northern" >>Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 5:05 PM >>Subject: Appeal regarding Maghaberry Jail >> >> >>Dear Sirs and Mesdames, >> >> >>I urge you to improve conditions in your prisons by >>allowing republican prisoners to associate freely, >wear their own clothes and be segregated from loyalist >prisoners >>by being given their own wing and facilities for >>recreation and independent work. Many of us here in >>Irish-America remember, sadly and regretfully, the >>hunger strike a little more than twenty years ago >that needlessly cost the lives of ten men. >Irish-Americans like me, and the organizations we >represent, do not want to see the situation in the >prisons there come to that again. We >>are very upset that it has been allowed to get this >>dire already. Please do your best to listen to voices >>like mine and defuse this situation before it gets any >>worse. >> >>Sincerely yours, >> >>The Irish Freedom Committee >>************************************************ >>© The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates >> >>====================================================== >= >>==== >>====================================================== >= >>==== >>==^=================================================== >= >>===== >>This email was sent to: iapl_newsroom32@hotmail.com >> >>EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: >>http://topica.com/u/?a84yzN.badaSk.aWFwbF9u >>Or send an email to: IFCnews-unsubscribe@topica.com >> >>TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! >>http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html >>==^=================================================== >= >>============

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