To: Justice Minister David Ford MLA
Keep Magilligan Prison Open
To commit to retaining Magilligan Prison as a much needed second male prison facility in Northern Ireland, to secure the jobs of the 440 staff who work there and the £10 million the prison injects into the local community each year.
Why is this important?
There is no economic argument for the closure of Magilligan. The Prison Service of Northern Ireland argues that the prison has outlived its economic usefulness but the additional cost incurred by building a new facility on the Magheraberry site destroys this argument. Closure of the prison would have a catastrophic impact on the local economy. This part of the North West has already been ravaged by the economic recession and the loss of a further 440 jobs would be devastating.The spending power of those employed in the prison would be lost to the local economy and in addition, the goods and services that the prison buys from local suppliers will stop causing further pressure upon already struggling businesses and potentially causing even more job losses. This area simply cannot afford to lose the prison.
How it will be delivered
This petition is part of a wider campaign to generate support for retaining the prison and will be delivered to David Ford, Justice Minister MLA at Stormont
