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BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Significant increase' in inmates sees rise in cell sharing in NI prisons
Northern Ireland prisons have a "high density" of inmates, with cell sharing at Maghaberry jail on the increase in order to deal with space 40% (567) of prisoners at Maghaberry share cells, a practice referred to as comes as a new report for the Council of Europe (CoE), the human rights watchdog, notes a "significant increase" of prisoners in Northern is primarily driven by remanding people into custody before conviction or sentencing. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said members of the Prison Service have contacted him recently to raise a number of claimed there are "rising tensions" at Maghaberry, partly due to "low staff levels".The Prison Service said newly trained officers have been deployed to the jail, with a further class of recruits set to join them in two weeks' Ireland's prisoner population currently stands at 2,139, which is up by more than 200 on a year largest prison, Maghaberry, has 1,470 inmates, 737 (50%) of whom are being held on remand. Last year, Maghaberry had to re-open a disused cell block to increase its CoE report describes Northern Ireland as having a "high prison density".But it did not define the situation as overcrowding - this is when there are more than 100 inmates per 100 on data for 2023-24, it said Northern Ireland had 86 prisoners per 100 places.A spokesperson for the Prison Service said: "Whilst challenging, the prison population in Northern Ireland has not yet exceeded available capacity, and we continue to prioritise safe, decent, and secure custody."The Prison Service is working with partners across the justice system to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the current population, with a particular focus on remand."Every day prison staff perform their challenging roles with dedication and professionalism."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Prisoner's care at HMP The Verne not at expected level
The way a prisoner was cared for in the last weeks of his life was "not equivalent" to what he could have expected in the community, an investigation has Stephens was 83 when he died at HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset, in May 2021 from bilateral was jailed for 12 years for sex offences in January 2018 and was initially sent to HMP Winchester, where he had a number of seizures and falls. He was moved to The Verne in June 2019.A Prison Service spokesperson said "significant improvements" have since been made at prison since Stephens' death. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) found Stephens contracted Covid-19 in February 2021 and was admitted to hospital. On his return to prison, he received supplementary oxygen for 15 hours a being admitted to hospital again in April 2021, a consultant told prison staff Stephens was "severely frail" and was in "the last few months of his life". He was discharged in May and died in prison 23 days PPO found that staff "should have pursued a move to a more suitable location" than his prison dormitory before his health "deteriorated to such an extent that he was too ill and frail to be moved".It also found that communication between prison and health staff was "at times poor" and that his needs would have been better met in a prison with 24-hour healthcare. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have made significant improvements at HMP The Verne since Mr Stephen's death and have implemented all of the Ombudsman's recommendations."This includes strengthening staff training and improving processes around the treatment of ill prisoners." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Bizarre jailbreak: How French prisoner escaped in released cellmate's laundry bag; went unnoticed for 24 hours
AI-generated representative image A 20-year-old inmate, Elyazid A, nicknamed "the Joker" or "the Equaliser", chose a unique way to escape from a French prison- concealed in fellow inmate's laundry bag, who was being released. The inmate serving several sentences escaped by hiding in the luggage of his inmate who complete his sentence, the Prison Service said in a statement to AFP. He "took advantage of the liberation of his fellow inmate to hide himself in his luggage and get out," the statement said. However, the authorities re-apprehended him later in a village cellar last week, approximately 25km from Lyon-Corbas prison, according to Guardian News. The prison staff failed to notice his absence for 24 hours. Reports indicate he escaped by hiding in a large plastic laundry bag filled with clothes, which his released cellmate transported out on a trolley on Friday. The police continue their search for the accomplice cellmate. Multiple investigations have been launched by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, Lyon prosecutors, the French prison service and Lyon-Corbas facility to examine the escape circumstances. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo The national prison service head, Sébastien Cauwel, confirmed that Elyazid A, despite facing charges including criminal association and conspiracy to murder, was not considered a security threat. Cauwel described the escape method as exceptionally uncommon, attributing its success to significant internal failures. The incident raised questions about systemic issues within the facility, primarily stemming from staff-related shortcomings rather than infrastructure problems. The severe overcrowding exacerbates these challenges for prison officers. Lyon-Corbas prison currently houses almost 1,220 inmates despite its 678-person capacity. A May report by the Lyon bar association urged immediate action to address overcrowding and maintain basic human rights. The French prison system accommodates 85,000 inmates in facilities designed for under 63,000 people. Cauwel noted that vacant cells are immediately filled, potentially contributing to oversight failures. According to a 2024 Council of Europe assessment, French prisons rank third in EU overcrowding rates, behind Cyprus and Romania. The country has witnessed numerous dramatic escapes, including about 20 helicopter breakouts since the 1980s, reported The Guardian. The prison service faces a shortage of at least 5,000 officers. Recent incidents include armed attacks on prison facilities, with 21 arrests in April following assaults, including gunfire at Toulon prison's entrance. Drug cartels have targeted prison facilities, damaging officers' housing and burning vehicles, responding to increased government enforcement and stricter regulations for imprisoned crime leaders.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Prisons using shipping containers to house inmates to tackle overcrowding crisis
PRISONS are using shipping containers to house inmates to tackle the overcrowding crisis. Jail chiefs are spending tens of millions of pounds on the units which will be converted to hold lags. Advertisement One prison — HMP Albany on the Isle of Wight where paedo Gary Glitter previously served time — will splash out £15million on the 'rapid deployment cells' to house more inmates. They will come with built-in beds and tables. It is part of efforts to increase capacity in prisons by 14,000. Contract details seen by The Sun on Sunday show the units, referred to as 'containerised' jail cells, will only be used for 'risk-assessed prisoners'. Advertisement MORE ON PRISON OVERCROWDING Paperwork says: 'The units are arranged into a double or single storey configuration and attached to separate sleeper units.' But one source said: 'You have to wonder how safe and secure the containers will be. 'Prisoners will also no doubt lodge loads of complaints.' Shipping containers were used as temporary cells during lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Prison Service bosses confirmed that rapid deployment cells were part of expansion plans to help protect the public. Officials said the department is investing up to £7billion and adding 14,000 places, as well as putting hundreds of millions of pounds towards improving jails. 'Scary' overcrowded jails blasted by prison officers and inmates as gang fights soar A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'To ensure we never run out of prison places again, we're installing rapid deployment cells across the prison estate.' 1 Prisons are using shipping containers to house inmates to tackle the overcrowding crisis Advertisement
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Prisons using shipping containers to house inmates to tackle overcrowding crisis
PRISONS are using shipping containers to house inmates to tackle the overcrowding crisis. Jail chiefs are spending tens of millions of pounds on the units which will be converted to hold lags. One prison — HMP Albany on the Isle of Wight where paedo Gary Glitter previously served time — will splash out £15million on the 'rapid deployment cells' to house more inmates. They will come with built-in beds and tables. It is part of efforts to increase capacity in prisons by 14,000. Contract details seen by The Sun on Sunday show the units, referred to as 'containerised' jail cells, will only be used for 'risk-assessed prisoners'. Paperwork says: 'The units are arranged into a double or single storey configuration and attached to separate sleeper units.' But one source said: 'You have to wonder how safe and secure the containers will be. 'Prisoners will also no doubt lodge loads of complaints.' Shipping containers were used as temporary cells during lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid. Prison Service bosses confirmed that rapid deployment cells were part of expansion plans to help protect the public. Officials said the department is investing up to £7billion and adding 14,000 places, as well as putting hundreds of millions of pounds towards improving jails. 'Scary' overcrowded jails blasted by prison officers and inmates as gang fights soar A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'To ensure we never run out of prison places again, we're installing rapid deployment cells across the prison estate.'
