On Easter Sunday last year, republican prisoners in Roe House, Maghaberry, began a dirty protest over conditions in the jail.
Inmates claimed they were often locked in their cells 23‑hours a day, regularly denied showers as well as exercise and education facilities.
Their major complaint was that they were often strip‑searched. The prisoners started throwing their urine and excrement onto the jail landing. The prison management rejected the allegations and said Maghaberry was run like any other British jail.
After five months, the authorities and prisoners reached an agreement. However, it has since broken down over continued strip‑searching. All 32 republican prisoners are now refusing to be strip‑searched.
Twelve prisoners – including Colin Duffy who is charged with the Massereene murders; Provisional IRA veteran Harry Fitzsimmons; and ex-Sinn Féin councillor Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton who are charged with the Lurgan murder of PSNI officer Stephen Carroll – have restarted the dirty protest. They are on 23‑hour lock‑up.
The strip‑searching situation has deteriorated further. Before, prisoners refusing to be strip‑searched lost privileges or open visits. Now, they are forcibly stripped and searched.
The prison service argue that the practise of strip‑searching, which has been upheld by the courts, is needed for security. The prisoners say that in Portlaoise prison, where dozens of republican inmates are held, new technology has replaced strip‑searching without jeopardising security.
Prison officers have expressed concerns about the return of a 'Maze‑type situation' with prisoners effectively running the jail.
