Northern Ireland has its own separate prison rules – the Prison and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995, made under the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953. These are separate from the Prison Rules used in England & Wales, and from the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011 used in Scotland.
The rules cover the day-to-day running of Northern Ireland’s prisons and young offenders centres – things like discipline, privileges, visits, communications, and how complaints are handled – and set out both prisoners’ rights and their responsibilities. They apply across all three of Northern Ireland’s prisons: HMP Maghaberry, HMP Magilligan, and Hydebank Wood.
The 1995 Rules have been amended a number of times since – including in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2016 – to keep them up to date. The Department of Justice publishes the current version, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) is responsible for applying them day to day.
Unlike England & Wales, which layers a large body of internal Prison Service Instructions (PSIs) and Orders (PSOs) on top of the Prison Rules, Northern Ireland doesn’t publish an equivalent public instruction series – NIPS works from the Rules themselves together with its own internal policies and procedures.
The information on this page is based on the law in Northern Ireland. If you’re in England & Wales, click here for the guide for your jurisdiction. If you’re in Scotland, click here for that guide.
Source: Department of Justice – Northern Ireland Prison Service: Prison rules.