The Celtic League has written to the NI Office asking if allegations that prisoners have spent over 26 months on remand at Maghaberry prison are true.

In correspondence the League also ask Prisons Mnister, Paul Goggins, why Northern Ireland is `bottom of the league' in terms of the percentage of prisoners on remand in the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland is also the worst performer in terms of percentage of remand prisoners as a of the prison population of any country in Northern Europe

source - World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List International Centre for Prison Studies (Kings College London) – figures current end October 2007

"Paul Goggins Minister of State Norther Ireland Office 11 Millbank London SW1P 4PN

01/08/09

Dear Minister,

Ref: Remand Prisoner duration – Northern Ireland Prison Service.

I understand from a recent press release issued by an Irish political party that some prisoners in Maghaberry prison have been held on remand for over 26 months. Can you confirm is this correct?

Also could you confirm the numbers of prisoners on remand who have been in custody for over six months?

I feel sure you will agree with me that it is inimical to a well-run and fair justice system for prisoners to be be held on remand for lengthy periods. If, as is alleged, some prisoners have been remanded for over two years this is outrageous.

I would remind you of the British governments obligatons under International Law in relation to the treatment of remand prisoners, specifically the conditions in which they are detained vis a vis the general prison population and the facillity for acess to legal support etc.

Finally, I note that in the most recent report on the situation of remand prisoners globally, in the United Kingdom the Pre-trial/Remand population (per 100,000 of the national population) is England and Wales (25) Scotland (28) N. Ireland (33).

Simarly for remand prisoners as a percentage of the total prisoners population the figures are England and Wales 16.5% Scotland 19.5% N. Ireland 38.2%.

Can you explain why the figures for N. Ireland are so consistently bad?

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt

Director of Information

source World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List International Centre for Prison Studies (Kings College London) – figures current end October 2007"

Link:

(voir le site)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

01/08/09

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