New £200m jail may take until 2020

A £200m pounds new replacement prison to supersede "frustrating" existing accommodation at HMP Magilligan may take up to five years longer than originally forecast, Northern Ireland's top jailer told the Stormont Justice Committee.

Robin Masefield referred to the "much-needed prison to replace Magilligan" and said "the replacement prison and the women's facility at Magilligan will probably have a time frame of between five years and 10 years."

Mr Masefield said the dilapidated infrastructure at the County Londonderry jail currently causes difficulties in terms of prisoner engagement and cost managements.

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He told the committee that there was "the challenge of the physical infrastructure." He commented: "I am not using that as an excuse, but it is undoubtedly true that improvements in the physical infrastructure would enable better prisoner engagement, reduce staffing costs and aid the provision of a better outcome.

"Magilligan prison, for example, is frustrating. It is long and thin and it takes quite a while to move prisoners from the accommodation blocks to the workshops, education classes."

The Northern Ireland Prison Service chief first told Limavady Borough Council the prison was not out-dated and required replacement in 2005.

Over two years ago then Security Minister Paul Goggins announced a new 800 capacity jail costing about 200m would be built at Magilligan with work expected to start in 2011/12.

Mr Goggins announced the new prison would be built on a phased basis and could be completed by 2015 but judging from Mr Masefield's comments it appears this time frame may have been optimistic.

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