At the end of the war, the base was run down and various government agencies used parts of the old airfield until the Northern Ireland Office purchased the ground in 1974 and began work on the prison in 1976.

Mourne House, which holds all female prisoners, young offenders, and remands, was the first part of the new prison to be opened in March 1986. This followed the closure of the existing female establishment at HMP Armagh.

The male prison became fully operational on 2 November 1987. Following the closure of HMP Belfast on 31 March 1996, Maghaberry became the adult committal prison in Northern Ireland. Two new accommodation blocks were opened in 1999.

In 2003 the Steele report² recommended options to make the jail safe - including "a degree of separation" for republican and loyalist inmates.

Maghaberry is currently a modern high security prison housing adult male long term sentenced and remand prisoners, in both separated and integrated conditions. Immigration detainees are accommodated in the Prison's Belfast facility. The prison holds 718 in prisoners in single cell accommodation.

External links

• Northern Ireland Prison Service official website
• Jail report opts for 'separation'