Complaints to Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland triple to 1,429

Tom McGonigle said the impact of staff shortages risked destabilising Maghaberry Prison

The number of complaints to the Prisoner Ombudsman's office tripled in 2014-15, compared to the previous year.

The ombudsman said there were 1,429 eligible complaints received, with 97% of them coming from prisoners in Maghaberry Prison, "predominantly from separated republicans".

He added that eligible complaints from other prisoners reduced to 276 from 380.

The ombudsman said he commenced investigations into three deaths.

Tom McGonigle said there was a significant drop in the prison population, with 800 fewer committals since the previous year, but that a lack of capacity in Maghaberry's internal complaints system appeared to be the "main reason for this reduction".

He said it was "imperative that the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) take urgent remedial action at Maghaberry as the impact of staff shortages risks destabilising the prison and is fundamentally at odds with the reform agenda".

Mr McGonigle said the consequences included unpredictable and restricted regimes, long periods of cell confinement and limited purposeful activity, "all of which heightened tensions and increased frustration and vulnerability levels among prisoners".

'Illicit drugs'

The ombudsman commended several initiatives undertaken as part of the Prison Service's reform programme.

These included the cessation of automatically handcuffing prisoners during transportation, fewer prisoners being accommodated in Maghaberry's older houses and increased finds of illicit drugs.

He said it was also positive that Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre, Ash House Women's Prison and Magilligan Prison were able to deliver regimes that were "reasonably predictable and constructive".

In November 2014, the ombudsman wrote to the justice minister and health minister to express concern about the need to repeat recommendations that had previously been accepted in death in custody reports.

The ombudsman said the ministers replied in positive terms, as did the Prison Service and the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust.

He said all of his recommendations in relation to deaths in custody and 83% of the recommendations in relation to complaints had been accepted at the time of writing.

Mr McGonigle's report also highlighted future developments, including plans to place his office on a statutory footing and the likely impact of budget cuts.