Northern Ireland Prison Service Restrictions | Visits suspended

A suspension of in-prison visits is among restrictions to be introduced by the Northern Ireland Prison Service in response to the measures announced by the Executive on Wednesday. Director General Ronnie Armour said:

“Following a discussion with the Justice Minister and in response to the announcement by the Executive, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has re-instated a number of measures to mitigate the risk against Covid-19 in our three prisons.

“From 6pm on Friday 16th October all in-person visits will be temporarily suspended and only essential staff will be permitted access to a prison unless agreed through the local Governor.

“Our focus remains the safety of the people working in our prisons and those in our care.  The restrictions are a proportionate response to the increased community transmission and will be reviewed in four weeks in line with the timeline set out by the Executive.”