New block unveiled at Magilligan
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Pictured in the wing at Magilligan Prison are Gregory cambell MP Ni Minister for Culture Arts and tourisim, Mr Mike Newman Govenor of the new wing, Mr David Barbour the Mayor of Coleraine and Mr Tom Woods Govenor Magilligan Prison.
LOCAL residents, dignitaries and members of the media were given a preview of the most modern prison accommodation in Ireland, as Magilligan opened the doors to a new state-of-the-art block on Friday.
Halward House, named in honour of Robin Halward, who served as Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service from September 1998 to March 2002, is due to receive its first prisoners next month.
It is the first two-storey, 60 cell unit accommodation on the Magilligan site and is perhaps the most idyllic prison setting on these islands, with its panoramic view of Binevenagh Mountain and the Co. Donegal coastline.
Approximately 80,000 facing bricks and 250 cubic metres of ready-mixed concrete was used in the vast construction.
The new accommodation block will house prisoners who are drug free and within three years of release. It was built over the last fifteen months at a cost of £6.2m. At its busiest period close on 80 workers were on site.
East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell and MLA's Declan O'Loan, John Dallat and George Robinson were all present at the opening.
Governor of Magilligan Prison Tom Woods stated that he hoped that the new accommodation would prove an incentive which all prisoners would aspire to.
“Magilligan is the oldest prison in the Northern Ireland prison estate and the Minister has already announced that it will be replaced by a new prison on site. This however is new accommodation which has been put in place to take account of the rising prison population. Not only is it the most modern accommodation at Magilligan - it is the most modern accommodation in any of the three prison establishments in Northern Ireland.
“Public protection is at the heart of the Magilligan ethos and if we can reduce recidivism by adequately preparing prisoners for resettlement back into the community, then we are making an important contribution to wider society. Prisoners must demonstrate that they meet the standards we set for them before they will be considered for entry to Halward House.
“Halward House itself should provide a stepping stone to the semi-open accommodation at Foyleview. Prison is punishment and being sent to prison is the harshest punishment that a court can lay down. But prisoners should be given the opportunity to turn their lives around and I hope and trust that Halward House will provide both the discipline and the inspiration to prisoners to do just that. There could be no more fitting tribute to Robin Halward."
Halward House and the 50 bed Alpha Compound, which was opened this summer, will play an important role in the redeveloped prison which will in the coming years replace the existing Magilligan Prison.
