Debate contribution: Prisons: Population and Capacity
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 30 September 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Prisons: Population and Capacity
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4563928
Read the official Assembly record
Text
At the moment, the prison population sits at in excess of 1,800 prisoners. We have full capacity in Magilligan, at around 500 prisoners. We still have some capacity in Maghaberry and Hydebank. Over recent years, growing numbers of women have been committed to prison, and we are seeing a general upward trend. The reason that we have capacity in the system in Maghaberry is solely that we have been able to open two of the old square houses that had been closed. We have been able to repurpose them and bring them back into use, but it is not an ideal situation. It requires more intensive numbers of prison officers to look after the prisoners in those houses. It is a significant challenge for the Department. We are not in the same situation as some other regions have been in in terms of, for example, having to consider early release or some of the more extreme measures, such as tripling up, in the prison system. However, we do have a prison oversight working group that is looking at how we can drive those numbers down. We also have a remand working group because, at the minute, in Maghaberry, 50% of those in prison have not yet been sentenced.
208 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.78).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.78 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.58 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.22 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.20 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:12 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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