DOJ had discussed Prison Changes On Very Day Allister Exposed Plans to Drop Crown and Royal Prefix
09 January 2012
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“After I exposed David Ford’s plan to radically change the Prison Service on the floor of the Assembly there were some within the DUP, embarrassed by their own slumber on the issue, who claimed that I had, in the words of Edwin Poots, “thrown out a line aimlessly as this wasn't even part of the report” into prison reform. Far from being an aimless probe, documents now obtained under FOI illustrate how timely my intervention was. They prove radical changes were being planned at that very moment for the Prison Service.
“I submitted a Freedom of Information request asking for copies of all information held by the Department relating to plans to end Northern Ireland’s prisons being called “Her Majesty’s prisons” and the Crown being part of the symbol of the Prison Service on or before 14th November 2011. It is obvious from the documents obtained that DOJ did indeed plan to press ahead with changes to the name and uniform of the Prison Service while bypassing the DUP’s famous veto.
“On the very day I challenged David Ford on the floor of the Assembly a document was produced in DOJ headed “Programme for Government Commitments 2011 – 2015: Reform the Administration of Prisons”. Under the subheading “ Issue: Uniforms and Symbols” it states the following:
- The NIPS Strategic Efficiency and Effectiveness (SEE) Programme is about the total, end to end, transformational change of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, this includes the way we look.
- The Prison Review Team’s final report has highlighted the need for cultural change across the Service – that includes addressing such issues as emblems….
- This is about making it clear that we are the Northern Ireland Prison service, that we are not part of England and Wales, we are not HMPS. It is about giving the community of Northern Ireland ownership of our prison system.
- Earlier this month we marked the tenth anniversary of the creation of the PSNI. That was, undoubtedly, an uncomfortable time for Northern Ireland. But, 10 years on, look at how much the community and the PSNI have benefited from those changes.
“The document goes on to say:
- These are operational issues for the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
- However, if NIPS is serious about fundamental, end to end structural and cultural reform then it cannot fail to consider, as part of that review, the symbols and emblems which are visible signs of the organisation’s culture and focus.
“Similar points are made throughout the heavily redacted 57 pages of documents released to me by DOJ revealing meetings about a new uniform, a new badge and even changing road signs carrying the prefix Her Majesty.
“The public will recall that the very points outlined in the extracts reproduced above are what I raised with Mr Ford in the Assembly that evening.
“It’s about time that Edwin Poots and his party colleagues woke up to the fact that David Ford cannot be trusted with the Justice Ministry. Furthermore, they need to acknowledge that but for the Traditional Unionist Voice in the Assembly Alliance would have pressed ahead with their plan to strip the HM Prison Service in Northern Ireland of all vestiges of Britishness because the issues were, as far as they were concerned, “operational issues for the Northern Ireland Prison Service”.
“And just why did these proposals come “completely out of the blue” as far at DUP leader and co-First Minister Peter Robinson was concerned? Doesn’t his party chair the Justice Committee? Why were they asleep at the wheel on the issue? And how can the Unionist electorate have faith in the Programme for Government – something which was lauded by Mr Robinson and his party – when its commitments were going to be used as cover to bring such changes to the Prison Service?”
