Assaults at Maghaberry Prison More Than Double in Four Years

Assaults at Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim have more than doubled in four years, with 149 incidents recorded in 2025 compared with 69 in 2021, according to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request. The 116% rise has outpaced the growth of the prison population, prompting warnings from the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) that increasing numbers of prisoners, particularly those held on remand, are placing growing pressure on staff and inmates.

Maghaberry, Northern Ireland’s largest prison, held 1,307 prisoners in April 2025, up from 1,000 in April 2022, representing a 31% increase. Over the same three-year period, recorded assaults rose by 71%, from 87 to 149, according to Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) figures.

The figures cover assaults reported to prison staff and include incidents involving both prisoners and prison officers.

Ivor Dunne, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association in Northern Ireland, said the pressure on staff remained serious as the prison population continued to grow.

Dunne, who has worked as a prison officer for 43 years, said the number of people being held on remand was a particular concern. Remand prisoners are held in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing, meaning their time in prison can be uncertain and dependent on court proceedings.

He said the remand population was “through the roof” and argued that the uncertainty surrounding prisoners’ cases could contribute to tension inside the prison.

According to Dunne, some prisoners could arrive in custody one day and be released the next, creating frustration that can sometimes be directed towards prison officers or other prisoners.

He also pointed to pressure on the courts, saying they were “completely swamped”. Dunne believes industrial action involving barristers had contributed to the strain on the prison population.

Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the increase in assaults has not been confined to incidents involving prison staff. Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults have accounted for the largest increase recorded at Maghaberry.

There were 93 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in 2025, compared with 26 in 2021. Meanwhile, assaults by prisoners against prison staff rose from 43 in 2021 to 56 in 2025.

The figures underline the wider challenge facing the prison service as the number of people in custody rises.

Other Northern Ireland prisons affected

The increase has also been recorded elsewhere in Northern Ireland, although the scale varies between establishments.

At Magilligan Prison, recorded assaults increased by 32% between April 2022 and April 2025, while Hydebank Wood recorded a 9% increase over the same period.

Dunne contrasted Maghaberry with Magilligan, describing the latter as having a more stable prison population.

He also raised concerns about the number of prisoners experiencing mental health difficulties and the additional demands this can place on prison officers.

“Our staff or my members are not mental health nurses,” he said, stressing that officers were employed to carry out their professional responsibilities within the prison system.

The POA has called for continued recruitment and retention of prison officers, with Dunne arguing that experienced staff are particularly important in maintaining stability.

He said the rate at which officers were leaving the service had fallen considerably but maintained that more recruitment was necessary as prisoner numbers continued to rise.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service said any assault involving either a prison officer or another prisoner was “wholly unacceptable and must be condemned”.

NIPS identified high prison populations and overcrowding as significant factors contributing to disorder and violence across the prison estate.

At Maghaberry, sustained growth in the prison population has resulted in the reopening of older accommodation. NIPS said some of this accommodation was less suited to the demands of a modern prison estate.

Each reported assault is reviewed by the prison service, with action determined according to the circumstances of the incident. Measures can include disciplinary proceedings, segregation and restrictions on association with other prisoners.

Where an incident may constitute a criminal offence, it can also be referred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for investigation.

The increase in recorded assaults therefore comes amid wider concerns about the capacity of the prison estate to accommodate a growing population safely and effectively.

NIACRO, the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, described the increase in prisoner-on-prisoner assaults as “deeply concerning”.

The organisation said violence in custody could have a significant effect on the wellbeing of prisoners and warned that several pressures can combine to make the prison environment more difficult to manage.

These include high prison populations, increasing numbers of people held on remand, addiction, mental health difficulties and other personal challenges faced by people in custody.

NIACRO also highlighted the effect on families, saying relatives could experience greater fear and anxiety about the safety of loved ones serving time in prison.

The organisation said efforts to reduce violence should not focus solely on responding after assaults occur, but should also address the underlying pressures contributing to incidents.

With Maghaberry’s population continuing to rise and recorded assaults increasing at a considerably faster rate than the prison population, pressure on Northern Ireland’s prison system remains a significant concern for officers, prisoners and their families.

Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the latest figures will add to calls for greater staffing, appropriate accommodation and measures to address the growing remand population and wider pressures within Northern Ireland’s criminal justice system.