News

Prison Break? No, jail inmates show a penchant for rom-coms

USUALLY men have to be cajoled into watching chick-flicks by their other halves but prisoners in Co Derry have revealed an unexpected penchant for Hollywood rom-coms and weepies.

Magilligan Prison, a medium to lowsecurity men's prison, has released details of DVDs 'rented' by inmates in the past year.

Among the favourites are the Julia Roberts tale of one woman's path to enlightenment and inner peace Eat Pray Love, the Harry Potter series, the CS Lewis Christian allegory Narnia and animated kids favourite Happy Feet.

British rom-com Love Actually also features, along with recent heart-string-tugger Dear John, modern musical Moulin Rouge and the teenage Twilight Saga film series.

Magilligan's prison library has 370 DVDs that can be borrowed by prisoners.

There are around 70 on loan to prisoners at any given time - with 18,442 loans in the last year alone.

The prison service stressed that the activity is stringently monitored.

"The titles can only be borrowed if prisoners are on enhanced regime and titles are regularly monitored for suitability," it said in a statement.

However, The Irish News has discovered that among the titles are a number of 18-rated violent crime dramas, including Bad Lieutenant, A History of Violence, gangster film Rise of the Foot Soldier and savage action blockbusters Rambo and Predator.

Crime capers Ocean's Twelve and The Italian Job also feature.

Magilligan has capacity for 568 prisoners and holds male prisoners who have six years or less to serve.

Meanwhile, young male offenders aged between 17 and 21 and woman prisoners doing porridge at Hyde-bank Wood Prison and Young Offenders Centre have been losing themselves in the delights of aristocratic intrigue in Downton Abbey.

Their borrowing habits also reveal a fondness for the music of Westlife and Coldplay and prison sports movie Gridiron Gang.

They are also whiling away down-time in their cells by trying to improve their fitness, with Heart Hulaerobics and Strictly Come Dancercise.

Hydebank Wood Library has 300 DVDs that may be borrowed by prisoners.

At least half of these titles are taken out in any given month, with the peak rentals taking place in the summer.

Since devolution, prisoners can no longer rent DVDs from the library in Northern Ireland's only remaining high-security prison, Maghaberry.

Both Magilligan and Hydebank Wood have a Motion Picture Licensing Company umbrella licence certificate which ensures copyright compliance for the legal use of prerecorded DVDs within the location.