England & Wales has an online “Find a Prisoner” service run by HMPPS – Northern Ireland doesn’t have a direct equivalent for the public to use. The good news is that, with only three prisons, there’s a lot less searching to do.
If you’re trying to find out where someone is being held, here are the best places to try:
- Ask the person directly, or a family member who’s already in touch with them.
- Contact the Northern Ireland Prison Service directly – they may be able to confirm this or point you in the right direction, though data protection rules do limit what they can tell someone who isn’t a direct contact.
- Contact NIACRO, who run Visitor Centre Services at all three prisons and are experienced at helping families in this situation.
With only Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank Wood to consider, someone will usually be at whichever is the right fit for their circumstances – men generally at Maghaberry or Magilligan depending on sentence type and security needs, women and young men aged 18–24 at Hydebank Wood. See our Northern Ireland’s Prisons page for more on each one.