Partly in response to last year's prison protests over segregation and prison conditions, the Stormont Justice Minister David Ford has this week cut the first sod on the accommodation block at NI's main prison facility at Maghaberry, near Lisburn.
It is scheduled to open by next summer and the block will cost £13.7m to complete - providing a much needed boost for the beleaguered construction sector.
The development is in spite of major cubacks being 'signed-off' today by the Stormont Executive on foot of nationwide cuts by the Westminster coalition imposed last year.
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The Alliance party Leader, David Ford said: "The Northern Ireland Prison Service has a duty of care to provide secure and decent custody for inmates, in as safe an environment as possible for staff. This new block is necessary for the Prison Service to fulfill that obligation."
The Minister said that he is committed to making the best use of the prison estate to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders.
He said: "Modern, fit for purpose prison accommodation encourages a more positive engagement between staff and prisoners and this in turn will support prisoners to reduce offending behaviour.
"This was an issue commented upon in the Owers Report. I am committed to ensuring that any decisions about the future of the prison estate will be made in the context of the overriding need to ensure that the opportunities for rehabilitation and resettlement are maximised," he concluded.
Last year, conditions were highlighted during protests by republican prisoners with the Sinn Fein north Belfast MLA and Justice Committee member Carál Ní Chuilín commenting that with the "necessary political will" the issues involving prisoners.
Her party President, Gerry Adams also raised the issue directly with NI Justice Minister, David Ford and the MLA said she has also met with relatives of prisoners affected by the current regime in the prison.
See: Maghaberry Prison Talks In Disarray
