We often hear of the numbers of police being cut, and of what the police are being asked to do by the Government as well as the public. But how often do we hear about it from the policeman’s own view. Minimum Cover is one way for us to do so. I’ve just read the latest post having been pointed there on Facebook by a Scouting friend. He looked straight at me through the smoke….mouthing words that had no sound…and then there was silence. So often our policemen and women face situations that most of us never want to see, … Continue reading police officers – remembering those who serve all of us
For many, the idea that a public park could have more than one set of swings and roundabouts is somewhat inconceivable, but that is just one working out of the divided society in which we here in Northern Ireland get used to. For the last 17 years there has been a so-called Peace Wall up the middle of Alexandra Park. This past week has seen a gate installed in it for the first time. And yes, for once, that gate is actually going to be opened – from 0900 to 1500 on weekdays, and currently only for a three month … Continue reading swings and roundabouts in North Belfast
In Northern Ireland the price of housing one prisoner for one year is £95,000, according to a recent report*: the similar rate in England & Wales is on average £45,000.
The Cost Per Prisoner Place (costs relative to the number of available places for prisoners) is high – at £77,831 – significantly in excess of the comparable position in England and Wales (£45,000) and Scotland (£41,724). The current occupancy level across the three Northern Ireland prisons was 82% compared with 106% in Scotland and 113% in England and Wales. Given the occupancy level of 82% the actual cost per prisoner is significantly higher at £94,804.§
As the report states there are reasons why it should be much more here,
… much of the prison estate is inadequate and according to a number of inspection reports, is not fit-for-purpose. The high security focus of Maghaberry Prison for example – Northern Ireland’s committal prison – means that a wide range of prisoners (remand, fine defaulters, short sentence, life sentence prisoners) are held in maximum security conditions. The decision to separate paramilitary prisoners incurs additional costs. Furthermore, the small scale of the Prison Service and its estate in Northern Ireland means that it does not benefit from economies of scale enjoyed by larger organisations. In addition, the ratio of staff to prisoners in Northern Ireland is almost two and a half times that of England and Wales and prison officers here are paid on average a third more.†
David Ford MLA, Northern Ireland's Minister for Justice
Today is Anti Slavery Day in the United Kingdom and EU Anti-Trafficking Day. Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister, David Ford MLA, launched a new campaign last week called Visitor or Victim. The campaign is run in conjunction with the Police Service of Northern Ireland through the Organised Crime Task Force. Below is the front cover of the leaflet. The leaflet is in nine languages (English, Mandarin, French, Romanian, Lithuanian, Russian, Thai, Czech and Albanian) will be placed at all points of entry to Northern Ireland, as well as in other venues like doctor’s surgeries and hospitals. David Ford MLA said at … Continue reading visitor or victim? UK Anti-Slavery Day 18 October 2010
After a lot of hard work, Antrim has been declared Northern Ireland’s first Fairtrade Borough. I know that David Ford MLA who was Councillor for Antrim Town worked very hard as chair of the Antrim Council’s Fairtrade committee, before he stepped down from the Council on becoming the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland earlier this year. Speaking before an event earlier in the year, David Ford MLA said: It’s easy to take part – just swap your usual brands for Fairtrade brands. Gone are the days when you had to search all over the town to try and track … Continue reading Antrim – a Fairtrade Borough
The Northern Ireland Assembly is not currently noted for its progress in moving forward. With fewer Assembly Acts being passed in our Assembly than the other devolved administrations in the United Kingdom, the public looks on at the seemingly endless deadlock in the house on the hill at Stormont.
The 
Gyronny Herald 