“CITIZEN GERRY FITT, THE PRISON GOVERNOR, AND NOW IAN…”

CITIZEN GERRY FITT, THE PRISON GOVERNOR, AND NOW IAN PAISLEY HAVE ALL DECLARED RECENTLY THAT CONDITIONS IN HER MAJESTY'S PRISON, BELFAST, ARE NEAR TO BEING AS GOOD AS (MAYBE EVEN BETTER THAN)

CONDITIONS IN BUCKINGHAM PALACE. THE REASON FOR ALL THESE PUBLIC STATEMENTS IS THAT WITH THE LARGE NUMBERS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED INCREASE ™N UNREST INSIDE THE PRISON, in the past four months there have been three "strikes" involving large numbers of prisoners - one in demand of warmer clothes, one demanding better food, and one in protest against a statement put out by the prison chaplains.

Peoples Democracy has had its own reporter on the spot to observe conditions - unlike Fitt his visit was of more than a few hours' duration.

Eugene Cassin has just left the Crumlin having served four months for his part in a meeting to protest about the importation of Cement intc Ardglass Harbour during the Cement Strike. Anyway unlike Gerry Fitthe should know what he is talking about.

sat struck Eugene Cassin in particular about the prison was the brutality of certain Prison Wardens towards certain prisoners and their general air of agression. In all such cases what is necessary is to hear the facts. Unsubstantiated, undocumented and vague accusations of brutality are not likely to convince. Eugene has this to Say about one particular beatingup:screws "On 22nd December '70 Gerry Loughlin (Young Prisoner) wanted to have a few words with the governor about a pending court case. i [wo screws grabbed him and push} ed him into a cell where they both beat him about the stomach and arms. He, afterwards, showed his arms’to a number of prisoners, who confirmed that they were badly bruised. One fellow prisoner witnessed this beating, but as he is still serving his ser .ence his name a PRICE WEEKLY FRI. is being withheld. The names of the two screws who carried out this brutal attack on a defenceless 19 year-old are Madden and Hutton. ' Eugene Cassin described another case of agression against a defenceless prisoner: -"On the 15th December '70 John McDonagh (First Offender), Prison No. 2882, was involved with another prisoner named Whiteside in a dispute over snout (tobacco) which was stolen from McDonagh. Two screws immediately took McDonagh into a cell and beat him badly about the stomach, slapping him on the face. The names of the two screws involved in this beating were McFarland and Young.

McFarland boasts of having been present at the last hanging which took place in Belfast Jail."

Eugene Cassin was himself threatened with a kicking on his privates by a screw named McClean.

The food in the Crumlin Road Prison may have been just what Gerry Fitt has been dreaming about all his life, but the men who have eat it day in and day out are not so impressed.

For instance, over 300 prisoners refused to eat the evening meal because they felt it wasn't sufficient to sustain a man who had been working hard all day. The 2al in question consisted of one iontinterteenineniideette te ade 8 JAN 1971 pint of tea, one matchbox-sized piece of cheese, one spoon of jam, a small nut.of margarine and white bread. While prisoners sat with arms folded demanding better food, the Prison Governor arrived and immediately ordered all prisoners to be locked in their cells.

He then interviewed all prisoners involved in the strike and asked them personally if they wanted to take their complaint further i.e. to the Board of Visitors. Eleven prisoners elected to take their complaint to the Board of Visitors. Of course the Board saw nothing wrong with the meal. Next day three J.P.'s were taken into the prison and a special court was held. All eleven prisoners were found guilty of making a false allegation, and sentenced to 22 days of solitary confinement each with loss of all such privileges as newspapers, tobacco, visits, letters plus only ten minutes recreation each day - in fact as the good Governor so elegantly put it, "Nothing for company, lads, but the Holy Bible’.

Even after twentytwo days the Governor had still the power to impose further penalties - under prison rules a man can still be flogged. Bearing this in mind and taking into account that some of the men had upwards of a years remission to lose, the prisoners were thus forced into making a written apology to the Governor. This case illustrates the absolutely frustrating position that a prisoner who protests is in. For this reason it is important that those outside the prison (that includes ALL M.P.'s!) should inform themselves of the real facts about Crumlin Prison before making half-baked statements about how wonderful prison life is. boycott Bearing this in mind, then it was no wonder that,when the prison chaplains issued a joint statement denying that there was brutality, or there had been complaints about food, prisoners of all denominations boycotted the following Sunday's services.

(CONTINUED INSIDE)

FREE CITIZEN 8th JANUARY 1971

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