The first major study of the wellbeing and inclusion of former politically motivated prisoners in Northern Ireland will be launched by Queen's University today (Monday 14 March).
Ageing and Social Exclusion among Former Politically Motivated Prisoners in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland investigated the well being and social and economic inclusion of loyalist and republican former prisoners (aged 50 and over) as older people in Northern Ireland. The report will be launched at Parliament Buildings at Stormont this afternoon.
The research was led by Ms Ruth Jamieson and Dr Peter Shirlow at Queen's School of Law, along with Dr Adrian Grounds of the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge.
Researchers surveyed 190 former prisoners (117 republican, 26 of whom were women, and 73 loyalist), aged 50 and over, and conducted in-depth interviews with 25 of them (15 republican, three of whom were women, and 10 loyalist), in Belfast during 2008-09. The aim of the study was to investigate their wellbeing and social and economic inclusion as older people in Northern Ireland.
The study reported the following, for former politically motivated prisoners aged 50 years and over:
- Over half of those surveyed said they had been denied employment because they have a conflict-related conviction.
- One in four of the research participants were unemployed. The rate of unemployment for politically motivated former prisoners was over four times the unemployment rate for Northern Ireland at the time the research was conducted.
- Less than one third of politically motivated former prisoners in this group were in full-time paid employment.
- Politically motivated former prisoners have a far greater risk of poverty in older age than others in Northern Ireland. This is a combined effect of low pay, intermittent or insecure employment, and lack of occupational pension.
- Politically motivated former prisoners are twice as likely as others in Northern Ireland to suffer from psychological difficulties.
- Over one in three of the politically motivated former prisoners who took part in the research had been prescribed sedatives and tranquillisers. The rate of prescribed sedatives and tranquillisers for males in this group is well over four times that of their Northern Ireland age peers.
- Almost one in three of the research participants had been prescribed anti-depressants. The rate of prescribed anti-depressants for males in this group is five times that of their Northern Ireland age peers.
- Many of those who reported experiencing conflict-related relationship and psychological difficulties said they were not getting the help they need.
- A significant number of both the men and women surveyed reported misusing alcohol (68 per cent) or being alcohol dependent (53 per cent).
The report also makes a number of recommendations, which include:
- Policy makers should explicitly recognise that older former politically motivated prisoners constitute at 'at risk' group of older people in Northern Ireland, for both social exclusion and mental ill health.
- Measures are needed to prevent employment discrimination on the basis of age and or having a conflict-related conviction.
- Dialogue should be established between the former politically motivated prisoner community and the relevant bodies taking forward the developments arising from the Bamford Review of mental health services in Northern Ireland. The aim of this dialogue should be to adopt a model of mental health care for former politically motivated prisoners similar to the Community Veterans Mental Health Service scheme established by Veterans UK and the Personnel and Veterans Agency of the Ministry of Defence, which is currently being piloted in the UK.
- Greater representation of former politically motivated prisoners as service users is needed on relevant advisory or advocacy bodies, for example, regarding age discrimination and mental health and addiction services.
Ageing and social exclusion among former politically motivated prisoners in Northern Ireland is available online on the Changing Ageing Partnership website at www.changingageing.org/
Media inquiries to Anne-Marie Clarke at Queen's University Communications Office on +44 (0)28 9097 5320, +44 (0)7814415451 or anne-marie.clarke@qub.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
1. Interview bids for Ruth Jamieson and Pete Shirlow to Anne-Marie Clarke at Queen's Communications Office on +44 (0)28 9097 5320 or email anne-marie.clarke@qub.ac.uk
2. The launch of Ageing and social exclusion among former politically motivated prisoners in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland will take place from 1-2pm on Monday 14 March in Committee Room 21 at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.
3. Additional quote: Ms Ruth Jamieson, Lecturer in Criminology at Queen's said:
"This research found a high degree of resilience among politically motivated former prisoners across a number of key areas, including having a sense of well being and purpose for the future, good mental health and a degree of financial security. It has, however, also highlighted that a significant number of people are experiencing difficulties in finding employment, coping with psychological problems, and forming close relationships.
"The Good Friday Agreement acknowledged that politically motivated prisoners would need support to resettle in the community, but this study indicated unemployment among the research participants was over four times the unemployment rate for Northern Ireland."
"With regard to mental health, the study identified a need among some participants for psychological treatment. Pressure on psychological and psychiatric services, along with a reluctance among former prisoners to seek help, unresolved issues around disclosure of past events during counselling sessions, and a lack of familiarity among practitioners with the experience of politically motivated prisoners, all present obstacles to people getting the treatment they need."
4. The research employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods (a well being survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews) to gather basic descriptive and diagnostic information on older politically motivated former prisoners. Wherever possible, researchers used available comparative data to benchmark how politically motivated former prisoners were doing in comparison to analogous groups or their age peers in Northern Ireland, other regions of Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
6. Politically motivated former prisoners make up around 30 per cent of the male population aged 50-59 in Northern Ireland. The study found that former politically motivated prisoners over the age of 50 are at higher risk of social exclusion, poverty, mental health problems and isolation than the general population.
7. Groups who participated in the research, along with contact details for media inquiries, are listed below:
Coiste na N'Iarchimi (IRA)
10 Beechmount Avenue, Belfast, BT12 7NA
Tel: 028 9020 0770
Contact: Michael Culbert
CHARTER (UDA)
352 Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 1HG
Tel. 028 9045 9458
Contact: Frankie Gallagher
EPIC (UVF)
33a Woodvale Road, Belfast, BT13 3FB
(No one available for media inquiries)