NI prison staff angry at separation

The separation of loyalists and republicans at a Northern Ireland prison has left staff morale at an all-time low, it was claimed tonight.

The British government is spending £7m (€9.8m) to cover the cost of keeping rival terrorist inmates apart inside Maghaberry near Lisburn, Co Antrim.

But even though the North's Prison Service director general Peter Russell pledged the move would not lead to a paramilitary takeover, staff revealed growing discontent.

Several expressed fears that the top security complex was set to be turned into a replica of the old Maze jail where terror organisations controlled the wings.

The dismay was compounded by a decision to house all separated inmates in the two newest cell blocks in the compound.

One said: “It’s taken them a couple of months to achieve what it took them 10 years to win at the Maze. We’re sick of it.

“The loyalists and republicans protest and end up with the best accommodation while the ODCs (ordinary decent criminals) end up in the slums.”

Mr Russell accepted that his officers were facing huge pressures.

The regime change, ongoing intimidation of officers and the security breach which allegedly left their details in the hands of the Provisional IRA were all factors, he said.

“Morale has taken a terrible bashing over the last year.

“We had the leaking of names and addresses … and attacks on officers in the community has gone up in recent months.

“Running a separated regime is not the best aspiration for the prison service but this is necessary.”

The Government ordered loyalists and republicans at Maghaberry to be split up last month following a major review of safety.

Inmates aligned to organisations such as the Real IRA had been smearing excrement over their cells in a so-called dirty protest to win segregation.

Loyalists had also staged a campaign to be kept apart at the jail, which houses some of Northern Ireland’s most notorious terrorists including loyalist terror boss Johnny Adair.

Mr Russell insisted it was a separation scheme rather than segregation which he likened to the situation at the Maze.

He said: “We are going to remain in full control when the prisoners are separated.

“The worst of the Maze had prisoners running the show with very little involvement from staff.

“We are determined that won’t happen here but what will critically determine the outcome is attitudes in the community.

“Are the prisoners being separated in the community or are they getting support for their rebellious activity?”

With the new arrangement due to be completed early in the new year, the 100 cells in one of the blocks, Bush House, have already been emptied.

An extra 100 staff will be drafted in at the cost of another £7m (€9.84m), along with more cameras, gates and detectors to ensure warders remain charge.

Mr Russell added: “Staff said don’t give ground inch by inch in a long drawn out series of concessions.

“Do what you have to do and then stick to it.”

But he accepted separate terrorist factions within loyalism and republicanism may then attempt to achieve further isolation.

“There is some risk of that. We will have to see,” Mr Russell said.

“People have got lots of experience in how to do that. What we can’t do is create whole new jails.

“We have got three prison establishments in Northern Ireland that’s what we have to work with.”