risons
of 
orthern
reland
Conditions and circumstances of life for political prisoners
"Everything
goes up your bum"Joseph
Maguire
This quote epitomizes the disparity and degradation that people were reduced
to as political prisoners of the "Troubles" of Northern Ireland. Although
during the 1940's when the prisoners were subjected to living in huts,
the conditions and treatment endured by the political prisoners during
the late twentieth century were in comprehensible. However the world was
not aware of the exact conditions that the prisoners had been enduring
and living with until the the early 1970's.
The increase of the political prisoner flow into the northern prisons started
and rallied the prisoners together in an attempt to regroup in prison and
remain strong and not back down to the Unionist power and rule. 1971 produced
a massive increase of nationalist prisoners however with this imprisonment
none of the prisoners received a trail for their internment, they were
simply imprisoned, beaten, and tortured. As this unjust treatment of the
prisoners continued in 1972 the prisoners in Crumlin Rd. prison went on
a hunger strike to achieve just treatment in prison for they were not criminals
and should not be treated like ones. The prisoners succeed in recognition
by the British government in 1971-72 when parliament passed the Special
Category Political Status for all those in Long Kesh and Magilligan camps.
However in 1976 the resentment towards the ever growing number as prisoners
increased. Along with the resentment a new judiciary system was introduced
with Lord Diplock and he constructed the system in which it was proof of
innocent by the accused instead of proof guilty by the prosecution. Along
with this new system new prisons were constructed and they called them
H-Blocks, and here is where the cruel treatment and torture increased to
grotesque
proportions.
Once
these new prisons were established and the new prisoners kept coming in
new conditions and rules were issued to the prisoners. The guards forced
the prisoners to wear criminal clothing once they entered the prisons.
This action of criminallization by the guards was just one of the many
cruel punishments and treatments that they issued toward the prisoners.
The warders would also beat the prisoners as the when to use the washing
facilities and use the toilet. They also forbid the prisoners to
read books, smoke cigarettes, converse with one another about political
issues, meet with one another to try and gather more education, and they
forbid other personal possessions. In response to this restrictions the
prisoners in turn waged many protests that were known the world over and
for their strength and pride against the Unionists. One of the first protests
waged by the prisoners was the "blanket protest" which was a rebellion
against the criminalization issued by the new judiciary system. The
prisoners refused to wear the designated clothing so instead they simply
wore a small blanket around their waist. Since the prisoners were also
not allowed any personal possessions and if they had smuggled them in they
did not have any pockets to put the items in anyway. So the result was
the prisoners put the times like cigarettes, pencils, etc. up their rectums
in order to hide them from the warders. In response to this the warders
would have regular monthly "checks" to see if the prisoners were hiding
anything. The two most popular methods of searching the prisoners were
the "mirror search" and the "table search." For both searches the prisoners
were dragged through the hallways by their arms or hair and dragged along
the iron grills that were along the hallways and cells. For the table search
the prisoner was taken to the table and forced to bend over, if the prisoner
refused they would force them to lay down on their backs. Here they would
spread the buttocks apart and start the anal inspection. For the mirror
search, as the same with the table search, if the prisoner refused to assume
the squatting position than the warders would beat the prisoners to the
ground. Sometimes the warder would sit on the prisoners back to bring him
down. Than they would they would metal detector to inspect the anal area,
the would also occasionally beat the testicles with the metal detector.
The warder would also his finger sometimes to check the rectum, after he
was done he would sometimes use the same finger he used to check the rectum
to search the prisoners nose and mouth. The "dirty protest" was another
form of protest that the prisoners went on to demonstrate their disapproval,
their resistance to violence, and their desire for just treatment. They
refused to bath and cleanse themselves to demonstrate their point. In return
the warders would occasionally walk by and hose them off in their cells.
They would sometimes hose them off with freezing cold water or sometimes
it would be boiling hot. Than they would scrubbed them menacingly over
their open wounds which would cause them to bleed. After they were forced
to sleep on their soaking wet mattresses. They would also spray cleansing
chemicals into their cells to get rid of the maggots, which in turn would
smoke when the chemicals came in contact with the water causing the prisoners
to get sick.
(
mural of the hunger strikes)
Another
form of strike that the prisoners demonstrated was the famous hunger strikes
that began in the late 1970's and into 1980. The prisoners announced that
they would strike until death and until the British government abandons
its criminalization policy and meet their demands for political justice
and status. The nationalist had 5 demands that they wished to see reinstated
into the governments policy.
Dismisal of the requirement to wear prisoner uniforms
Dismissal of the required prison work that the prisoners were subjected
to perform
The availability to associate with other prisoners
Issuing a waiver of time added to the sentences of protesting prisoners
The right to one weekly visit, letter, and parcel
One December 18th
the British secretary Humphrey Atkins issued a statement complying to the
prisoners demands. However by January 27th the statement was revised and
practically disassociated for there was massive movement of prisoners into
a different prison and once again they were brutally beaten along the way.
Once again the prisoners did not respond with brutality or violence and
they started up once again with hunger strikes. The punishment that they
received from the warders for the strikes was being issued a small cup
of food for each meal, and each cup basically consisted of break, potato,
and a small piece of dried up meat. Meanwhile outside of prison the Sinn
Fein party was supporting its political prisoners and their popularity
and reputation continued to grow as more and more members were elected
into the parliament. Yet even as the hunger strikes ended in 1981
due to many of the prisoners lapsing into unconsciousness, the Sinn Fein
and Republican party still rallied together and fought for the end of British
rule, self-determination, unity and independence as a sovereign state,
and a free Ireland and free Irish people. Especially the advancement of
youth and the protection of women and children.
Political Prisoner attitudes and behaviors
Visual
aspects of the conflict