‘Maghaberry: A British Hell-Hole in Ireland’ by Donal Lavery

Anyone following the news lately will have seen the updates on conditions in Maghaberry prison, including the suicides of several inmates. Irrespective of their political beliefs or what they are in there for, any right thinking person should be concerned about the matter on a human level.

It would be inaccurate to suggest that I’m any friend or advocate for dissident republicans, I find their stances and approach obsolete in the contemporary Ireland in which we live. Many of them polarise themselves from their local communities by trying to advance a return to war when the overwhelming majority of people, particularly youth, find that idea totally redundant. But I am of the view that they should benefit from all the same dividends of peace that the rest of society has, irrespective of whether or not they endorse it.

One of my primary concerns is the lack of adequate social and psychological care for prisoners in Maghaberry. Suicide is the business of all of us, not just prison authority personnel. I think one of the things which people should raise with their policy-makers is the need to train more Clinical Psychologists and the need to obtain guaranteed waiting times for psychiatric referrals to gather a diagnosis. This benefits all of us, as the same staff will reduce the pressure on frontline professionals in hospitals and trusts across the North who would otherwise be called in.

But having watched the recent Michael Moore documentary, ‘Where to Invade Next?’, and seen the footage of the prison system in Norway, I think a serious debate has to be opened here and with the Westminster Government on the need to move towards a genuinely rehabilitative system of prisons. Treating people like animals while in jail simply does not reduce the likelihood of reoffending, it is repugnant in a developed and caring society. We all make mistakes in life but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have the right to learn from them and develop as human beings into better informed people, as opposed to being defined by a piece of paper on file.

One of the key differences between here and Norway is prisoner education and welfare, with the Norwegians administering a more holistic approach which informs and educates inmates formally and with the skills to become cohesive social units in society upon leaving. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and we have much wisdom to gather from their example.

Except for sexual offenders, we need to reconsider the practice of criminal convictions following people everywhere they go in the form of a database record if they are not reoffending, which makes it extremely difficult for them to obtain employment upon release. How on Earth can people be rehabilitated and integrated into the community if we simply confine them to an open-air prison of idleness and hopelessness after they have repaid their debt to society? The economic and human cost is enormous, and one of the key contributors to the contingency of suicide and self harm therein. Stopping people reoffending also frees up increased funds that can be spent in priority areas like health and education – especially given the enormous cost (around £100,000 per year) of per head incarceration.

Although it may not be popular, I’m of the view that prisoners should have the vote and should be able to elect people to represent their concerns as a constituency. Citizenship and human rights do not end following the conclusion of a guilty verdict in court. In order to combat the hopelessness and isolation felt by many in Maghaberry, perhaps it would help address the matter if inmates felt they had some say in who should voice their needs to statutory authorities, instead of simply imposing bureaucrats on them who really have their own institutional agenda. Remember that how we treat those most vulnerable in society, regardless of what they have done in their lives, is  indicative of the approach taken towards the population generally. People’s rights must always reign supreme over institutions and structures. And to date, we have yet to acknowledge a failing regime which confines so many of our fellow citizens to a ditch of discontent and polarisation from the greater wellbeing of all. Maghaberry so far has been another example of British-imposed standards in Ireland – It’s time we turned a new chapter and showed people that there is quality, merit and results to be found in Irish standards in Ireland.