Private Members’ Business – HMP Maghaberry: Paramilitary Prisoners

That this Assembly notes that HMP Maghaberry is unique in the British Isles and much of Europe for the challenges it faces as a result of housing prisoners with such opposing political and ideological views and criminal backgrounds; further notes the continuing implementation of a flawed decision taken in 2003 to separate paramilitary prisoners and the impact that this is having on the operation of the prison and on the morale of public servants who live with its consequences; believes that the prison should gradually revert to its integrationist policy and that this should be reflected in the Executive’s action plan on tackling paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime; and calls on the Minister of Justice to put in place the framework to ensure that, by 2021, there are no new admissions to separate paramilitary wings and that, by 2026, there is a fully integrated prison regime.