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Back to Ghosting (1)

01 January 1991

Back to Ghosting
artdoc May=1993

Indications that the Home Office had changed its attitude towards
Irish prisoners held in Britain for politically-related offences
were contradicted by another `ghosting' incident early in March.
Although the government accepted the recommendations of the
Ferrers Report last November(see Statewatch, vol 3 no 1), few
prisoners have been transferred back to Northern Ireland. 28
requests for transfer have still not been dealt with. Meanwhile,
one of the practices bitterly criticised by relatives and
prisoners in the past `ghosting' has again been implemented by
the authorities. This involves moving a prisoner to another
prison without warning on the day of a visit. In the latest
incident, two brothers of Thomas Quigley whom he had not seen for
over a year, travelled from Belfast to Parkhurst prison on the
Isle of Wight only to find that Quigley had been removed from his
cell and taken to Full Sutton prison (York) at 7.45 am that
morning. Quigley, who is serving a 35 year sentence, says that
he has been ghosted in this way on seven occasions during his
nine years in prison. In protest at the latest move, three
Parkhurst prisoners caused several thousand pounds worth of
damage.
Irish News, 15.3.93.

Statewatch vol 3 no 2 March-April 1993