Prison warder recruitment campaign opposed

Members of Belfast’s cumann of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have been removing recruitment posters for the prison service from bus shelters across the city over the past week.

The 32CSM said it had acted against “a campaign for British security forces whose sole aim in this country is to maintain the British occupation and its interests here”.

They said the prison authorities is “not a standard prison service” but “the lowest rung on the security forces ladder” who are “willing to mete out brutality on those unable to defend themselves, the prisoners”.

“Statistics have shown that those from a Catholic/nationalist background are more likely to be jailed by a judge in the Six counties. Inside the jails over 70% of disciplinary charges are levelled against Catholic/nationalist inmates as opposed to those from a Protestant/unionist background.

“Independent reports have also found that time and again, institutional discrimination of a sectarian nature is rife within the prison staff.

“This organisation is a sister to the PSNI and like the PSNI the prison service, shares a large portion of resources and personnel with British security service MI5. This shadowy arm of the British state has full control over Roe 3&4 wing in Maghaberry and Fern 4 unit at Hydebank where Republican prisoners are held and where the British state continues its Thatcherite criminalisation policy.

“Contrary to speculation, the ‘justice’ department at Britain’s Stormont assembly retains no jurisdiction over Republican landings in the jails, anyone working on these report directly to MI5 at Palace barracks.

“In short this is a totally discredited and inherently sectarian organisation operating under the shadow of MI5.

“The 32CSM will continue to resist the British policies of normalisation, Ulsterisation and criminalisation willingly endorsed and enforced by the administration at Stormont.”

Urgent Appeal