Ford ordered team to assess conditionsin Maghaberry jail

The Prison Minister David Ford says he’s encouraging a return to principles agreed by a facilitation group - which included Londonderry community worker Conal McFeely - that brokered the end of a Real IRA, Continuity IRA and INLA protest at Maghaberry on August 12, 2010.

By Kevin Mullan

Published 10th Nov 2014, 06:20 BST

Mr Ford said: “The August 2010 Agreement was reached by the joint facilitation group to end a protest by prisoners in Roe House. I established the Independent Assessment Team in September 2010 to ensure that the Agreement’s principles and undertakings were being implemented.”

The Jail Minister explained that in July of this year he asked the Assessors to undertake a stocktake of the implementation of the 2010 Agreement, following a recommendation by the Prisoner Ombudsman.

“In undertaking this stocktake I invited the Assessors to return to the agreed principles and undertakings of that agreement, and pass comment on the state of compliance,” he said.

“The Assessors have recently completed their work and I have received their Report for consideration,” he added.

Ford Maghaberry