Prisoner Safety Issue Still on Agenda
A Sinn Féin delegation met with the Prison Review Panel yesterday to raise concerns about the safety of republican prisoners housed in Maghaberry jail.
West Belfast councillor Sue Ramsey and ex-republican prisoner Raymond McCartney travelled to Hillsborough to meet with representatives of the panel.
Review panel members John Steele, Fr Kevin Donaghy and Canon Barry Dodds were present at the meeting that comes as another republican prisoner received a death threat from loyalist inmates.
Sue Ramsey says the issue of prisoner safety formed the core of the meeting.
"We stressed to the review panel that the only way to ensure the safety of prisoners was to introduce segregation.
"The fact the review panel was set up in the first place shows that the prison authorities are concerned about the issue and is in fact an admission that there is a problem in Maghaberry.
"The policy of segregating feuding loyalist factions was taken on the grounds of safety concerns. The same approach should be adopted immediately and segregation introduced.
"The policy of forced integration is putting lives at risk. Sinn Féin are concerned that the review panel will only serve to delay any decision, dragging out this unacceptable situation and allowing conditions to deteriorate further."