CRISIS AT MAGHABERRY - ACTION REQUEST - Suggested Response
RESPONSES FROM NORTHERN IRELAND PRISONS SERVICE -
Suggested Letter
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Date: 05 30 03
Many of our supporters from across the United States have received offensive responses from the Northern Ireland Prisons Service, alleging that the policy of forced integration of republican prisoners alongside loyalists is designed to "reward the individual" and create "the safest prison regimes for both prisoners and staff". If you have written to the Northern Ireland Prisons Service and/or Northern Ireland Office and have received a REPLY indicating that their forced integration policy at Maghaberry is for the good of the prisoner and that republican prisoners are being protected despite being housed on landings alongside loyalists who have issued death threats to them, please consider a SUGGESTED REPLY to these outright lies: |
SAMPLE LETTER: A RESPONSE to NIO/NIPS REPLY
| ATTN: Mark McCaffrey Press & Communications Unit Northern Ireland Prison Service With all due respect, your reply here does not begin to address the ongoing violent physical danger these republican political prisoners are living under. I refer to several violent and brutal attacks against republican prisoners over the course of the past few years at Maghaberry Prison by the loyalist paramilitary prisoners you have elected to forcefully house them with: MARCH 22, 2003: Republican prisoner JJ Connolly seriously burned with scalding water thrown at his face from loyalist cell APRIL 8, 2002: Republican prisoner Ciaran McLaughlin viciously attacked with an electric iron, suffering severe lacerations and contusions to his body and face in a totally unprovoked attack by loyalists. SEPTEMBER 4, 2001: Republican prisoner John Swift brutally attacked with an electric iron, leaving him near dead. John needed 17 staples to his head and 14 stitches to his face after the unprovoked attack by loyalist paramilitary prisoners, which also left him with a broken wrist. OCTOBER 31, 1999: Republican prisoner Tommy Crossan scalded in an unprovoked attack by loyalist paramilitary prisoners MANY, MANY OTHER ATTACKS against Remand prisoners have been recorded and go unreported out of genuine fear against further reprisals. I am certain you will also be familiar with the PSNI police visits one year ago to republican prisoners at Maghaberry, warning them that death threats had been delivered against them by loyalist groups inside the prison. Knowing this, how does your policy of "treating the prisoners as individuals" explain your decision to place these men in alongside the same loyalist prisoners who have issued the death threats?? Is this how loyalist paramilitary prisoners are "rewarded for good behaviour"? I am entirely unclear as to how this policy of forced integration amongst persons and organizations who do not even live in the same communities on the outside can subsequently provide for " the safest prison regimes for both prisoners and staff" at Maghaberry. Clearly this is not anywhere near the established definition of "safe" to house sworn enemies side by side in close quarters; particularly in the cases of the republican prisoners who are grossly outnumbered upon these landings, and, as we have clearly established, have already suffered a series of vicious attacks and are currently living under mass death threats. Please explain to us how this policy could possibly "reward the individual". Your answers below are not remotely encouraging. Sincerely; (YOUR NAME/CITYT/STATE HERE) |
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PLEASE NOTE: SAMPLE LETTER BELOW AVAILABLE FOR YOUR OWN USE HERE ----- Original Message ----- |
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