Jan - Mar

A new report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) examining how detainees are held in court custody in Northern Ireland has found the quality of court custody areas in some courthouses are not fit for purpose.

Leadership and staff at Magilligan Prison have been commended for their efforts to successfully protect prisoners and colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining a regime where time out of cell for prisoners was retained for much of the day.

An independent review of the operation of Care and Supervision Units in the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) led by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) has found some prisoners held there experienced regimes which amounted to solitary confinement and their treatment did not meet the expected United Nations (UN) Standard Minimum Rules.