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>New Republican Protest Looms in Maghaberry > > >Martin Mulholland, IRPWA • 17 May 2004 >A new republican protest is imminent in Maghaberry >Gaol due to the punitive regime inflicted by the >Northern Ireland Prison Service and vigorously >supported and administered by the Prison Officers >Association. It is the belief of the IRPWA that the >harsh conditions and arbitrary nature of discipline >endured by the republican prisoners is a direct >consequence of the British government's decision to >implement the Steele recommendations. > >The POA have made their opposition to segregation for >Political Prisoners quite clear and it would now >appear as if the prisoners are being made targets for >their spleen venting. A number of incidents recently >have shown the deterioration of conditions such as >total lock down, lack of recreation or education >facilities, little or no association and the over >zealous cell and strip searches. The republican >prisoners have endured all of the above with patience >and discipline following assurances from the prison >administration that the difficulties that were >occurring were just "teething problems". > >Patience and goodwill are now in short supply on the >republican wing due to the deliberate provocation and >aggressive actions of the prison regime. This regime >is exemplified by the fact that the prisoners are now >expected to eat their meals in their cells despite the >presence of a fully equipped canteen. The men are also >expected to wash the plates and cutlery in the same >sinks that they carry out their daily ablutions, >washing and shaving. Food parcels are banned from the >outside in the interests of hygiene so it is difficult >to see how washing plates and shaving in the same sink >fulfills the prisons high hygiene criteria. As a >consequence the republican prisoners are now refusing >to shave or cut their hair until they are allowed >access to the canteen or until other more suitable >arrangements are made. It is prison regulation that >any man who enters the prison is not allowed to alter >his physical appearance and the men are quite aware >that many of them will spend time on the boards but >they have vowed to intensify their protest over the >coming weeks and months until the POA and NIPS cease >to use them as pawns and scapegoats in their petulant >antics and games of brinkmanship with the British >Government.

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