Antrim and Newtownabbey: NI Prison Service to receive Freedom of the Borough honour

The motion was proposed by Glengormley DUP Councillor Alison Bennington at a meeting of the borough council, at Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, on Monday evening.

The motion said: “The council have recognised the immense sacrifices of the Northern Ireland Prison Service through difficult times and have already approved an appropriate commemoration and a legacy project that was on display in the Museum at the Mill.”

Cllr Bennington asked that the council confers the Freedom of the Borough on the Northern Ireland Prison Service “to further celebrate the officers and the Northern Ireland Prison Service”.

“This honour would serve as a testament to the unwavering dedication and bravery exhibited by the officers of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Their commitment to maintaining safety and upholding justice in the face of adversity has not gone unnoticed.

“The council believes that this gesture will provide a lasting tribute to the vital role they have played in our community’s history,” she stated.

In her address, Cllr Bennington spoke of a “steadfast commitment to duty without fanfare and always under pressure”. She said prison officers “upheld the rule of law, giving individuals opportunities to change, for education and a second chance”.

She described the role as “not just a job but a calling” that requires “personal resilience and often great personal sacrifice” serving “under threat and with resolve”.

Cllr Bennington went on to say awarding Freedom of the Borough is “the highest honour the council can bestow”.

Her proposal was seconded by party colleague Threemilewater Cllr Sam Flanagan who reminded members that he had proposed a motion in 2023 for the council to seek a commemoration in recognition of the “immense sacrifice” of prison officers.

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He said he believed it was “only but right” the Prison Service has the recognition of Freedom of the Borough “alongside so many deserving individuals who received that great honour”.

Opposing the motion, Glengormley Sinn Fein Cllr Eamonn McLaughlin highlighted the experience of Republican prisoners, which, he claimed, was about “control, humiliation, and criminalisation”.

In 1976, Republican prisons were reclassified as criminals, he said, experiencing what he alleged was a “regime of brutality” and “daily occurrence” of physical abuse.

“Prisoners were locked away 23 hours a day for weeks and months on end,” he continued. He also recalled claims of strip searches, food being “tampered with” and “degradation” of being “forcibly washed”.

Threemilewater Alliance Alderman Tom Campbell said he believed the Prison Service makes “a substantial contribution” to civic society “at their own personal risk”.

“It was very disappointing to hear the previous contribution refer to criminalisation of Republican prisoners.”

He went on to say crimes such as murder, attempted murder, abduction and blackmail “deserve to be punished”. The prison service, he added, “deserves our support and gratitude”.

Glengormley Ulster Unionist Ald Mark Cosgrove stated: “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the men and women of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.”

He added he would be “very proud” to support the motion which was carried following a vote in which 22 councillors were in favour with eight against.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter