Working With Lifers In Northern Ireland
| Date | 01 June 2002 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050204900203 |
| Author | Roisin Knight,Trevor Lindsay |
| Published date | 01 June 2002 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
88
Working With Lifers In
Northern Ireland
Roisin Knight and TrevorLindsay discuss the different factors that
impact upon work with lifers in Northern Ireland and, drawing on
research into the profile of the Northern Irish lifer population,
examine the match between the criminogenic needs of this offender
group and the programmes of intervention available to meet them.
One of their most significant findings is that despite the fact that over
a fifth of lifers presented an identifiable risk to future partners,
programmes on domestic violence were not available to them.
Over recent years Northern Ireland
has moved from having one of the
highest rates of imprisonment in Western
Europe to one of the lowest. Between 1996
and 2000 the prison population fell by
35%. In 1999 the rate of imprisonment
was 70 per 100,000, compared to 125 in
England and Wales and 120 in Scotland
(Hague and Willis 2001). Amajor factor in
the drop has, of course, been the increasing
political stability since the (comparative)
cessation of hostilities. Not only are fewer
politically motivated offences being
committed but, under the terms of the
Good Friday Agreement, a large number of
prisoners convicted of ‘scheduled’, i.e.
political, offences have taken advantage of
accelerated release provisions. The trend
continues, although it is predicted that, in
keeping with other parts of the U.K., a rise
in the prison population will occur steadily
from 2002 to 2005 (ibid). Nevertheless the
number of prisoners should remain
relatively low, reflecting the low level of
crime (Hague, 2001). The current total
prison population of just over 1,000 is
housed in two adult prisons and one Young
Offenders’ Centre. Medium risk prisoners
serving six years or less are held at HMP
Magilligan; HMP Maghaberry is a high
security prison housing remand and long-
term sentenced male prisoners. It is here
that all but a few life sentence prisoners1
are held. Paramilitary prisoners were
previously held at HMP Maze but the few
remaining are now integrated into the other
prisons.
In England and Wales, the joint
thematic review by the Inspectorates of
Prisons and Probation (Home Office, 1999)
noted that no analysis of the criminogenic
needs of the lifer population had taken place
and recommended that the Prison Service
should undertake this to identify what
programmes or interventions were needed
to reduce the likelihood of re-offending. In
1999/2000 an opportunity occurred for this
research to take place at HMP Maghaberry,
where one of the authors was employed as a
seconded probation officer. This article will
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