Hydebank prison goes from failing to top ratings

The justice minister said all of the improvement recommendations made in the report “have been responded to or are being responded to”.

Long said Hydebank’s deputy governor would review every incident where restraint was used to check “whether or not it was required or what alternative methods could have been used”.

“One of the things that they referenced in the report was the willingness of Prison Service to actually listen and learn and I think that’s why they’ve got such a good report on this occasion,” she added.

The minister also attributed some of Hydebank’s success to the dedication and innovation of its staff.

“If people are working as a prison officer and have good ideas, those ideas will be captured and put into practice,” she said.

Long explained she had seen examples of prison officers who see a problem and “come up with a solution”, which was strongly supported by management.

“I think it’s really positive to see because it means our prison officers aren’t just there to lock people up at night and let them out in the morning,” she added.

“They’re actually there working with the prisoners, they know their particular needs and challenges and they’re able to provide both support, encouragement and challenge about their offending behaviour that actually means they’re much more likely to not come back.”