With around 1500 prisoners and an estate of three prisons, the Northern Ireland Prison Service is a very small prison service. This inquiry was undertaken to examine whether the estate was adequate and appropriate for the secure accommodation of Northern Ireland's prisoners and whether the Prison Service meets the health, education and training needs of prisoners. One of the main conclusions is that the Current Comprehensive Spending Review does not provide sufficient capital for the substantial redesign of the prison estate. If criminal justice is to be devolved the Committee hope that capital investment in the prison estate will be a priority of the Northern Ireland Executive. If not the Secretary of State will have to argue for an increase in funding.

The Maze Prison shows how an establishment built to hold those involved in terrorism, atrocities, murder and allied crimes became a pawn in the partisan conflict that was Northern Ireland. There followed a breakdown of norms, values and control as the last of these shifted from Governors to Ministers, outside officials and even prisoners. This led to the (often random) killing of prison officers and countless allegations, denials and obfuscations, as Prison Rules came into conflict with claims to be treated as prisoners-of-war or be given Special Category status. A social document par excellence, this stark slant on The Troubles and Peace Process cuts through the propaganda and base politics to reveal the truth about the H-Blocks, hunger-strikes, escapes and power struggles. Based on actual records and personal accounts, it challenges myths and legends to warn how easily a community can descend into what the author calls anomie. An invaluable record of ‘One of the most dangerous prisons in the world’. 'A must read for those interested in the legacy of our troubled past—Tom Murtagh restores the balance, exposes the truth and gives a unique insight into the mind-set of the terrorist godfathers incarcerated in the Maze'-- The Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP 'This book gives an accurate account of events as I recall them'-- John Semple, Former Deputy Director of Operations, Northern Ireland Prison Service 'This is an important book'-- Phillip Wheatley, former Director, National Offender Management Service

This is the eleventh report on England and Wales of the Prison Service Pay Review Body. Although this is the second year of a pay freeze for the public sector workers paid more than GBP21,000 a year, the Body considered evidence from the parties, undertook a visits programme and makes a few key recommendations on pay from 1 April 2012 including a consolidated increase of GBP250 to all points at or below GBP21,000

The Prison Service Pay Review Body 2011 report on Northern Ireland sets out a number of recommendations regarding pay, including: a consolidated increase of £250 for night custody officers, operational support grades and healthcare assistants; a consolidated increase of £0.12 per hour for prisoner custody officers and senior prisoner custody officers; that night patrol officers be paid at a single rate of £18,704. These recommendations are made against the background of exceptional economic circumstances, and follow the Minister's recommendation that consideration be given to those earning £21,000 or less, which follows the Government's announcement of a two-year pay freeze for those earning above that threshold.

This is the fourth report on Northern Ireland from the Prison Service Pay Review Body with recommendations for the pay arrangements of prison governors and officer grades applicable from 1 April 2006. These include: a consolidated increase in basic pay for all remit group staff of two per cent, to be paid through spinal progression; and an unconsolidated service-wide performance award of up to one per cent.

The report's key recommendation is for an increase in basic pay for all grades of £425 or 1.6 per cent, whichever is the greater. This, combined with some other changes for operational managers, two additional rates of locality pay, and a 1.6 per cent increase in all allowances except specialist, will lead to an increase in the pay bill of £27 million or 2.5 per cent. The Review Body has long considered the current pay system as outmoded and in urgent need of reform, and has identified particular aspects that require attention: the length of pay ranges; performance or competence based pay progression; rationalization of the middle management grading structure; and pay arrangements for governing governors (in charge of establishments) and senior operational managers. So it welcomes some progress towards pay reform, linked to a multi-year deal between the Prison Service Agency and the Prison Officers' Association, but regrets that the negotiations had stalled at the end of 2005. It is vital that the negotiations resume, and that proposals for a new pay and grading structure, underpinned by a robust job evaluation system, are available in time for the 2007 report.