The 1970s

In the early days of 'the troubles', alongside remand and convicted prisoners, the Prison Service was also required to accommodate internees. Initially they were held in the Prison Ship 'Maidstone' which was anchored in Belfast Lough and from which there was a major escape in January 1972. Seven detainees escaped by removing a porthole cover and shinning down a loose hawser cable. They then swam the short distance to the shore. Later that year the remaining detainees were transferred to Long kesh.

In August 1971, Long Kesh, an old wartime airfield, was opened as an internment centre with compound type accommodation. This was later to be renamed HMP Maze. A similar centre was established at Magilligan. These compounds were staffed largely by prison officers on secondment from the Scottish and English and Welsh Prison Services. External security was provided by the Army.

In 1972, following a hunger strike and a major campaign by both republican and loyalist prisoners, the then Government granted special category status to prisoners convicted of offences connected to the civil disturbances. Prisoners in the compounds were subsequently allowed to wear their own clothes, permitted not to work and to be housed within their paramilitary factions. In 1974, continuing confrontation culminated in the burning of the Maze Compound Prison and damage to other establishments.

In 1975, the Government accepted the recommendation of the Gardiner Committee that special category status should be phased out. The republican response to this was violent and 6 prison staff were murdered in the period 1976-77.

Following the ending of special category status, Republican and some loyalist prisoners refused to wear prison issue clothing and only wore their bedding. This became known as the 'Blanket Protest'. Unrest continued within prisons and in 1978-79, a Deputy Governor and a further ten staff were murdered.