Unsafe parts of prison need replacing - report

The oldest parts of Northern Ireland’s main prison, which was opened just 17 years ago at a cost of £40m (€58m), are “unsafe and unsatisfactory” and should be replaced as soon as possible, according to an inspection report published today.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, also suggested that the diverse prison population at Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim could better be served by a number of smaller establishments or by several discrete establishments contained on a large site.