Maghaberry Deaths To Be Discussed At West Belfast Feile
antrim |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Monday August 06, 2007 13:27
by Gan Ainm - Anarchist Black Cross
The meeting will take place in the Culturlann on the falls road, on thursday August 9th at 7.30pm
Belfast Anarchist Black Cross will be hosting a meeting during the West Belfast Feile, regarding the issue of prison deaths in the north.
Belfast Anarchist Black Cross will be hosting a meeting during the West Belfast Feile, regarding the issue of prison deaths in the north.
Entitled 'deaths behind bars' the meeting will focus on prison neglect and brutality resulting in the deaths of prisoners either through suicide or as a result of staff actions.
We have been in touch with the families of some victims and hope to have them address the meeting as well as the author of a recent report on human rights abuses of female prisoners.
The meeting will take place in the Culturlann on the falls road, on thursday August 9th at 7.30pm
The issue of female suicide in Maghaberry Prison was explored by the Human Rights Commission in 2004 which published a damning indictment of conditions in its report, The Hurt Inside. Other suspicious prison deaths, including that of James McDonnell, has been investigated by CAJ. Guest speaker: Linda Moore
Comments (6 of 6)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6maith a fear Gan Ainm
The UK prison system has been blighted with prison deaths and specifically those of
women on light terms-suicide and isolation. they are indigenous women and largely
from working class areas, many have been mothers.
Solidarity.
This is an excellent way for people to be educated about capitalism and abandonment
of the duty of care to the individual. The prison services are deliberately run down in
order to begin privatisation and the military industrial complex, so beloved of the
Boston to Berlin (PD) crowd and the Thatcherite BRown/Blair regime. UK indymedia has
covered numerous protests at the deaths of young women in Britain and they can be accessed
by using the search engine on:- http://www.indymedia.org.uk
Well done to 'Gan Ainm' for highlighting the atrocious abuse of prisoners occurring in Maghaberry Gaol, which has manifested itself sadly in the recent untimely death of a political prisoner. I hope you will get a good attendance at the meeting and that people will unite and develop a plan of action together and call for an investigation into the high incidence of suicide within Maghaberry Gaol. There is obviously something sinister going on in Maghaberry and it's in the interests of all conscientious people to call for an investigation into human rights abuses occurring at the Gaol, and to have those responsible brought to account and removed permanently from their jobs.
The structures in hierachies such as prison services and government directly prevent
people being removed for abuses, they hide within the structures , they get good lawyers.
The only way to suceed is to' name and shame' and that requires input from the families
of the bereaved combined with education (and agigitation).
In cases of suicide it is necessary to have open meetings and be aware that the issues
are highly sensitive, i.e- not 'political' but community based solutions to theses problems.
no-one wants a ranter at a meeting where families of the bereaved mother/daughter/sister/
auntie are present.
Solidarity!
Shame the devils and of course remember that those who utilise and abuse their power
by hiding in the structures created for their convenience can be made very, very uncomfortable.
witness community protest by the Wheelock, Bannister and Stardust families= never give up
looking for the truth.
Your right on all accounts. Ideally what we seek to create is a situation were those closest to events ie, families of victems and even prisoners themselves can as you say 'name and shame' those state criminals who are practicing torture in the countires jails. The Black Cross is not about a bunch of lefties hijacking personal tragedy to boost a party profile, yet we do need to bring some political analysis to it all. Unlike groups such as amnesty we are not calling for better jails, we understand that prisons (and all the slavery, murder, degredation and suffering that goes on in them) are an essential part of the economy and state that has been forced upon us, unless we get rid of it all on the way to a more humane society reforms will only be temporary.
The victim (and by extension, the loved ones of that victim) has always the right to redress,
not essentially monetary but the right to answers. and they will go on for years to get their
rights addressed. I did. and it is worthwhile, but difficult and sometimes scary.
Solidarity!
but I really think ye should hook up with the family groups seeking the same answers in the UK.
remember that the misiter for prisons has a lot of history and despite trying to foist immigration
id on ordinary people -John Reid presided over the most shameful internal policy of the Blairite
government someone has to begin exposing the failures in that administration. the money goes where
it is not needed and deprives the ordinary people of family members- never stop exposing the
underside of profit.
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