Delays to Magilligan Prison redevelopment put 'serious and avoidable strain' on system says MLA
A Causeway Coast MLA has said that delays to the redevelopment of Magilligan Prison are placing ‘serious and avoidable strain’ on Northern Ireland’s justice system.
East Londonderry independent MLA and former Justice Minister Claire Sugden said: “Plans for Magilligan’s redevelopment were already in place when I was Justice Minister back in 2016.
“Nearly a decade later, we are still waiting for the promised accommodation block to be delivered. In that time, the justice system has changed dramatically but the pressure on our prisons has only worsened.”
Ms Sugden said the failure to progress Magilligan’s redevelopment reflects a broader lack of planning across the prison estate: “Magilligan is uniquely placed to support rehabilitation and resettlement, particularly for those nearing the end of their sentence. But without adequate infrastructure, that work is limited and the knock on effect is felt across the system.”
She warned that the current situation is not sustainable: “We now have more people on remand than ever before, record levels of cell sharing, and stretched staff across every facility. These pressures slow down the entire justice process, delay court outcomes, and risk undermining the safety, fairness and effectiveness of the system as a whole.”
Calling for immediate action, Ms Sugden said: “I have long championed Magilligan as a key part of a functioning prison estate. The failure to move this project forward has consequences well beyond the north west. If the Department is serious about delivering justice, it must confirm when the new accommodation block will be built and how it will support the wider justice system going forward.”