Inspectors have praised the Governor and the collective efforts of the leadership and staff team at Magilligan Prison for the rehabilitative environment they have developed and the positive outcomes delivered for prisoners in their care in a new report published today (26 March 2026).
The inspection carried out by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in England and Wales (HMI Prisons), the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) and the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI), found evidence of excellent staff-prisoner relationships and lower levels of violence and use of force than in similar prions in England and Wales.
It was a pleasure to inspect this well-run medium to low security prison which is now considered one of the very best prisons in the United Kingdom (UK). Outcomes for the men held at Magilligan Prison had improved since our last inspection in 2021 and were assessed as ‘good’ against each of the four healthy prison tests of safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release.
Jacqui Durkin, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, and Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in England and Wales
Inspectors found 19 examples of notable positive practice that other prisons could learn from or adopt and that 22 of the 30 recommendations made following the last inspection had been achieved or partially achieved with eight not achieved.
Staff knew the men in their care and were able to offer bespoke support to individual prisoners. These positive relationships underpinned much of the good work the Inspection Team saw and contributed to the low level of violence and use of force compared to other similar prisons in England and Wales.
Jacqui Durkin
Time out-of-cell was also found to be among the best Inspectors had seen in recent years with prisoners unlocked for between eight to 10 hours each day, and only a few prisoners not involved in education, skills, work or the enrichment activities available.
Charlie Taylor
ETI Inspectors found the North West Regional College’s (NWRC) education provision for prisoners to be generally of good quality and the level of attainment had improved with 43% of qualifications achieved at Level 2. Inspectors also found evidence of good support and the use of mentors to assist prisoners with literacy skills.
Developments in healthcare provided by the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) were also highlighted by RQIA Inspectors, including the appointment of a learning and disability nurse to work with neurodivergent prisoners and those with learning disabilities and the introduction of the first shared digital healthcare record in the UK.
While we welcome these encouraging findings, Inspectors also identified four priority and seven key concerns that require action by the prison’s leadership team and management to ensure future positive outcomes for prisoners.
Jacqui Durkin and Charlie Taylor
The use of drugs within the prison continued to be a concern. At the time of the inspection, 23% of prisoners stated in the prisoner survey they had developed a problem with drugs, including medication not prescribed to them, while at Magilligan Prison.
The misuse of drugs by prisoners including prescription medication, irrespective of who prescribed it or how it has got into the possession of a prisoner who should not be taking it, is a threat to the prison’s stability. Weaknesses in the local drugs strategy need to be addressed to enable a more effective response to achieve equitable health outcomes, with services provided that reflect the concentration of need in this prison population. While we acknowledge the steps being taken to prevent drugs entering the prison, inadequate funding and lengthy waiting lists for substance misuse and addiction services is contributing to the likelihood of prisoners resorting to illegitimate drug use to manage their addictions within the prison.
Jacqui Durkin
The Chief Inspectors also highlighted the need for strategic decisions on the remodelling of the prison and investment in its infrastructure to secure its long-term place within the prison estate.
Inspectors recognise the work prisoners and staff have undertaken to maintain standards, however Magilligan still relies on Second Word War Nissen huts to accommodate workshops and other old buildings.
Charlie Taylor
Inspectors also called on the prison leadership to work to increase the availability of and access to offending behaviour programmes to meet the needs of the prison population and the use of data to analyse, inform and measure progress in areas such as safety and fair treatment.
At a strategic level, the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) must also work with education leaders to bring together stakeholders to develop an employability strategy that will ensure continuity in prisoners’ pathways to employment.
There was a strong emphasis on delivering a full consistent regime for the men held at Magilligan and offering progression through the prison that recognised and rewarded positive behaviour. Prisoners were supported to maintain and develop family ties and friendships that would assist their resettlement journey and it was encouraging that 72% of men who responded to our survey said their experiences at Magilligan Prison had made them less likely to offend in the future.
Jacqui Durkin
This is a very positive report and one that the leadership and staff team at Magilligan Prison can be rightly proud of. The NIPS, SEHSCT and NWRC have developed a committed and capable team who worked with partners and prisoners to create a positive culture characterised by trust, collaboration and care. We hope they will collectively maintain and continue to build on the inspection findings by addressing the concerns identified to further improve outcomes for the men held there.
