| Subject: Formal Complaint |
Author:
CR Vets
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Date Posted: 17:56:17 08/13/02 Tue
>TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
>@ the NIO & N. I. PRISON SERVICE
>
>Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Formal Complaint
>
>On behalf of the October 5th (1968 Civil rights’
>veterans) Association and on behalf of the wife and
>family of political prisoner Mr. Ciaran McLaughlin, I
>wish to formally complain at the bad-mannered
>treatment afforded to this prisoner’s wife. Our
>complaint relates to two calls she made to HMP
>Maghaberry at around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon
>(Saturday).
>
>This lady politely asked if it was possible to have a
>message conveyed to the Roman Catholic prison
>chaplain, whom she named to the prison officer at the
>other end of the line. He very bluntly said “No”, and
>when she asked if he couldn’t or wouldn’t convey a
>message he hung up. When she rang again immediately
>afterwards to complaint at this treatment this officer
>hung up yet again. We are therefore forced to ask
>ourselves the question, would his conduct have been
>any different if she had wished to convey a message to
>a prison chaplain who professes a different religious
>faith? How can we now even harbour the notion that
>anything has changed within the NIPS since the signing
>of the GFA in 1998? Another question we are asking
>ourselves, are we even fools to take the time to
>protest, or to expect that this complaint will be
>taken seriously?
>
>We believe that this prison officer’s conduct is
>scandalous behaviour especially given the fact that
>Mr. McLaughlin’s grandson, Kyle, and his own mother
>are both very ill. The nine-year-old’s condition has
>worsened greatly in recent days, yet Mr. McLaughlin
>was, over this past few days, refused another visit to
>the hospital. The family, and our association have
>been led to believe that such visits are usually
>permitted on a monthly basis, but Mr. McLaughlin now
>feels that no further visits will be permitted. Maybe
>you could clarify the exact policy in this regard for
>the benefit of us all, as there are claims being made
>that loyalist prioners have been granted compassionate
>parole on a twice a month basis. If this is not the
>case, then kindly inform us at your earliest
>convenience.
>
>This incident on the phone smacks not only of bad
>matters, but very low standards of public relations,
>and unprofessionalism, at a time when we are being
>bombarded with tales of “a new beginning” at all
>levels of a supposedly reformed Stormont
>administration. One would assume that basic humanity
>would come to the fore when dealing with the loved
>ones of prisoners, but then that seems to be too much
>to expect, or is it?
>
>We would appeal for a review of the compassionate
>parole provisions in regard to Mr. McLaughlin (A258 –
>Bann House, HMP Maghaberry). We feel that since his
>mother was not fit enough to travel to Altnagelvin
>Hospital during two periods of eight-hour
>compassionate parole, we would implore you to take
>steps to ensure that a visit to his mother’s home is
>permitted at the earliest possible opportunity. We
>make this urgent appeal as Ciaran’s terms of release
>did not permit him to leave the confines of the
>hospital, not even to visit his seriously ill mother.
>He has not seen his mother since being imprisoned,
>which we estimate to be a year and a half.
>
>We are quite angry at the behaviour of the prison
>officer who answered the phone yesterday, and feel
>that he should be made to apologize for his unfeeling
>behaviour. Should he feel obliged to do so he can
>contact Mrs. McLaughlin on Derry 71-XXXXXX. If you
>have the slightest doubt that this incident occurred,
>then please feel free to contact this lady at your
>earliest convenience.
>
>Yours truly,
>
>
>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BA [Hons.],
>Hon. Secretary & Press Officer
>[Derry-71-XXXXXX]
>
>P.S. All replies by e-mail please VIA
>oct5th_vets68@hotmail.com
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