VIOLENT TENSIONS AT HMP MAGHABERRY
KRW LAW LLP is instructed by a number of sentenced and remand prisoners detained at Roe House HMP Maghaberry. Roe House is a separated regime within the prison holding Republican prisoners. Tension – often violent – has been an occurrence within Roe House between the Prison Service, the Prison Officers Association and the prisoners for a number of years.
Yesterday these violent tensions erupted again between staff and prisoners with allegations of verbal abuse against prisoners and the use of restraint, lock down and segregation. A control squad of prison officers allegedly “danced all over” one Republican prisoner whilst other came to his assistance and were placed in segregated accommodation.
HMP Maghaberry has been condemned by the Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons and other regulatory agencies. Disputes at Roe House have resulted in a Dirty Protest in the past because of the over use of strip searching, treatment of visitors, access to association and the excessive use of lock down.
Lawyers from KRW LAW LLP will be accessing their clients as soon as possible to take instruction on the current position in Roe House. We will be requesting an independent investigation and recommending complaints to the Prisoner Ombudsman and the IMB. We will be alerting both Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross who are monitoring conditions at Roe House. We will be seeking meetings with the Northern Ireland Prison Service and, if necessary, the Minister for Justice.