Maghaberry Prison reports into 'serious' incidents published

Two reports into serious adverse incidents at Maghaberry Prison have been published by the Prisoner Ombudsman.

The reports concerned incidents where two prisoners had to be treated in hospital for drug overdoses.

They were carried out at the request of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, in line with its suicide and self-harm prevention policy.

In both instances, the prisoners involved survived the incidents.

The purpose of the investigation was to establish "whether any lessons may be learned and to promote best practice in the care of prisoners", said ombudsman Dr Lesley Carroll.

Two issues were identified in the first report, which dealt with a prisoner found unresponsive in his cell the morning after his first night in custody at the prison.

The prisoner received immediate medical attention. The report indicated the drugs were either concealed by the prisoner, which he swallowed, or they leaked internally.

The first issue raised was that information the prisoner had been unwell while at court prior to his committal was not passed on to prison staff.

Secondly, the report highlighted the need for the prison service to explore new developments in search technology to deter drugs being smuggled into prisons.

The second report dealt with a prisoner discovered on his cell floor with breathing difficulties and in a critical condition in February 2019.

The prisoner, who was treated in hospital for a drug overdose, was being regularly checked in his cell.

The report found the prison staff had been vigilant and had acted swiftly to rescue the prisoner.

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The ombudsman highlighted the "significant challenge" in addressing the impact of drug misuse and repeated her previous recommendation to the prison service regarding the detection and deterrence of drugs coming into prisons using new technologies.

NI Prison Service director general Ronnie Armour said the reports highlighted that but for "the quick actions of our staff" the two men may have died.

"This is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our staff," he said.

The Prison Service had a responsibility to prevent the smuggling of drugs into prisons, he added.

"We are committed to tackling the issue head on with every measure at our disposal," he said.