Northern Ireland Prison Service


Background

It was established as an agency on 1 April 1995. Agency status was re-confirmed following a quinquennial review in 2000. The Prison Service is responsible for providing prison services in Northern Ireland. Its main statutory duties are set out in the Prison Act 1953 and rules made under the Act.
The Prison Service is a major component of the wider criminal justice system and contributes to achieving the system's overall aims and objectives. As the responsible Minister, Minister of Justice accounts to Northern Ireland Assembly for the Prison Service and shares Ministerial responsibility and accountability for the criminal justice system as a whole with the Attorney General. The Prison Service is headed by the Director General. As of August 2009, the Northern Ireland Prison Service employed 1,893 staff.

Establishments

The Prison Service currently has three operational establishments:
There is also a staff training facility, the Prison Service College, at Hydebank Wood.

Prison Officers

Prison Officers operate the prisons and young offenders' centres.
They wear a light blue uniform, consisting of a white shirt, blue tie, blue tunic and trousers and skirt, black shoes or boots, black gloves and a blue peaked cap, with one style for males and another for females. Medals and a whistle on a chain are worn on the tunics.
For everyday use, the tunic may be replaced with a sweater or jacket and skirts with trousers.
Prison Officers may carry weapons and use reasonable force to protect people. They carry expandable batons.

Officers killed in the line of duty

  1. Prison Officer David Black was shot and killed on 1 November 2012 by the New IRA, whilst driving to work.