Prisons Boss Faces Challenging Future

There's a challenging time ahead for a senior Department of Justice appointee with news that the Northern Ireland Prison Service's new Director General (DG) has just started work - and has major tasks to undertake.

Colin McConnell has been appointed following an open recruitment competition run in December and takes up his post with immediate effect, having been previously the service's Director of Operations.

The appointment comes just a few weeks before Dame Anne Owers is expected to publish her initial report on the Independent Review of Prisons and has also prompted the Lagan Valley DUP Justice Committee Member, Paul Givan to say that the new Director General "will have a very challenging task" to create a Prison Service.

He said that the public expect him to restore confidence following a range of incidents including the erroneous release of three prisoners last year and commented: "The Minister's appointment of the Director of Operations to this post follows a meeting of the Justice Committee at the end of December when I put questions to the Minister about who in senior management of the Prison Service would take responsibility for the mistaken release of prisoners.

"Clearly by making this appointment the Minister does not hold the new Director General responsible for these incidents which occurred when he was the Director of Operations in the Prison Service."

However, the MLA said: "Who then will be held to account for this serious systematic failing?"

On Thursday, the Stormont Justice Minister David Ford said: "This will be an important and challenging year for everyone in the Northern Ireland Prison Service and I welcome Colin's appointment as Director General.

"He brings with him a wealth of experience to this demanding post, having worked previously in other prison services across the United Kingdom and also provides a fresh perspective on how to deal with the challenges faced today in the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

"As the work to modernise and reform the service will gather pace over the next 12 months, Colin has my full support in delivering the necessary changes to the Northern Ireland Prison Service," he insisted.

Yesterday, the Sinn Fein Deputy Chair of the Assembly Justice Committee, Raymond McCartney said he is glad that the position has been filled in a speedy fashion.

"I am sure that Colin McConnell will be more than aware of the many difficult challenges facing the Prison Service here.

"We now need to see Mr McConnell get to work on the very serious issues of concern for many and to address them in an appropriate and professional manner."

Commenting the new man himself said: "It is a great privilege to be appointed the Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

"I am under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge ahead, to transform and modernise a proud prison service, which in the future must be capable of delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

"Change is never easy for any organisation, no matter what the size and I know that there will be difficulties ahead.

"However doing nothing is not an option and I am determined to work in partnership with others across the service to deliver on the Minister's commitment to reform the Prison Service," the new prison boss added.

Last year, there were several highly embarrassing incidents where prisoners who were supposed to be returned to custody after court appearances were allowed to walk free by prison staff supervising them, with some still being sought by the PSNI.

Most recently, Sean Gerard Cahill was released after appearing at Belfast's Laganside Court in early November and then failed to turn up at Lisburn Magistrates' Court.

Mr Cahill was the third prisoner released in error from prison within two months and had been convicted and sentenced to one-month imprisonment on a charge of aggravated vehicle taking, but was released at that point due to the time that he had spent on remand awaiting trial.

However, Cahill should have been returned to custody pending a further hearing scheduled for 30 November in relation to charges of robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and the error only came to light when Cahill did not appear at Lisburn Magistrates' Court that morning.

At the time, the DUP Chairman of the Assembly Justice Committee, Lord Morrow described the incident as "absolutely scandalous" and called for the inquiry later announced by David Ford to be concluded in a speedy manner in order to find out who exactly is responsible for the "monumental error".

Separately, Justice Minister David Ford also announced the composition of a team, which since last June has been reviewing all the conditions of detention, management and oversight of prisons in NI.

In a statement to the Assembly the Minister said the review presented an opportunity to look innovatively at the issues affecting prisons and to draw on best practice more widely.

The five-person review team is being chaired by Dame Anne Owers, an HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

The team was asked to report in two stages, firstly in the autumn of 2010 and the second stage by early 2011, but as yet neither has been forthcoming - although the initial findings are now anticipated shortly.

See: Ford Criticised As Third Prisoner Freed