Prisoner care is 'very limited'

MENTALLY disturbed sex offenders and drug addicts incarcerated in HMP Magilligan are only receiving limited care, a report by the prison watchdog has pointed out.

A new report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) points out that despite there being a large amount of sex offenders with personality disorders in the County Londonderry facility mental health care there is “very limited.”

Equally, inspectors were told that it was not easy to get drug addicted prisoners onto the appropriate drug treatment programmes.

The report entitled Not a Marginal Issue Mental Health and the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland (March 2010) refers to the lack services at the jail in Chapter 4 dealing with Prison and Parole.

It reads: “The prison population has been growing steadily in recent years, though it still represents one of the lowest imprisonment ratios in these islands.

“Additional capacity has recently been created at Magilligan Prison, and there are further plans to develop the prison estate to cater for the increase in prisoner numbers which will be consequent on the introduction of extended and indeterminate sentences under the Criminal Justice Order 2008.”

But concerns were raised in the survey about a lack of care facilities for sex offenders and drug addicts.

“Magilligan Prison has a large population of sex offenders, who often have personality disorders, and yet mental health provision is very limited,” it states.

“There is no in-patient unit at Magilligan Prison, and any patient with acute mental health needs is transferred to Maghaberry Prison.

Magilligan Prison has 14 nurses, of whom two are Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMNs), but they are often diverted to generic nursing duties,” it adds.

As for addiction services the report gives the verdict:

“At Magilligan Prison Inspectors were told it was not always easy to get patients on to drug treatment programmes. It required referral by the GP.

“This is something that perhaps needs to be looked at. NIPS management confirmed that clinical interventions had been slower to develop as investment in specialist services had been constrained.

“The new sentencing framework of the Criminal Justice Order 2008 and the increasing complexity of substance misuse problems had influenced the need to review how alcohol and drug services were delivered.”

Related topics: