£14,000 spent on TV for Magilligan prisoners

Prisoners in the Londonderry jail were able to watch BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five with terrestrial stations available to all.

Access to Sky Basic and Sky Sports was limited to the Foyleview and Sperrin blocks in the jail.

The cost of providing television was met through the Governors Fund from which 9732.90 was taken last year to pay for annual subscriptions. New TV purchases and repairs were paid for from the Prisons Budgets and came to 4,396.80.

Across the three NIPS jails over one hundred thousand pounds was spent on TV last year.

The prison service spent 54,250.98 on television in Maghaberry and 33,345 at Hydebank Wood.

Justice Minister David Ford, releasing the information in response to a query at the Stormont Assembly, explained that prisoners had access to a range of facilities under the Progressive Regime and Earned Privileges Scheme (PREPS).

"There are three levels Enhanced, Standard and Basic. Both Enhanced and Standard are entitled to have in cell televisions (unless excluded temporarily as a result of an adjudication hearing)," stated Mr Ford.

"Prisoners on basic regime are not permitted to have in cell televisions. In Hydebank Wood access to facilities is more general due to the nature and specific needs of the population.

"Where prisoners choose to have a television in their cell they pay a rental fee out of prisoner earnings. This fee varies from prison to prison. Prisoners may also purchase a television from a range of approved and specified models through the establishment's tuck shop.

"The cost of providing both Terrestrial and Satellite television is met from the Governors Fund which draws its income from profits made by the prisoner tuck shop, prisoner telephone system, television rental fees and recycling initiatives," he added.

The Justice Minister advised that less than a third of prisoners had access to Sky television in their cells.

"Less than 30 per cent of the current prisoner population has access to satellite subscription television in cell and where this is provided access is controlled by staff and limited in nature," he stated.

"In preparation for digital switchover in 2012, the Prison Service has initiated a replacement programme for TV sets which are not digitally compatible and costs incurred to date are included in the establishment figures below," he added.