Three years ago, Maghaberry jail was the subject of an absolutely damning report, one of the most critical of any prison in the UK.
The chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, Nick Hardwicke, described the Co Antrim facility as the most dangerous he had inspected.
He said it was a 'very worrying and disturbing public institution' and said Charles Dickens could write about conditions 'without batting an eyelid.'
Words such as unsafe, unstable were used in relation to Maghaberry, which was found to be 'in crisis.'
This was a shocking report in regard to a prison where increasing concerns had been raised about the care of inmates with mental health problems.
With such an alarming assessment, it was essential that radical steps were taken to ensure there was a dramatic change in what was plainly an unacceptable situation.
A follow up report in 2016 did find some improvement, with a more stable environment noted but chief inspector of criminal justice Brendan McGuigan said a significant amount of work remained to be done to make Maghaberry safer for prisoners and staff.
He said it had 'struggled to adapt to the requirements of a 21st century prison establishment.'
Today another report is published and it is encouraging to see that considerable progress has been made.
Levels of violence and disorder have reduced significantly, the prison was found to be more stable and calm while relations between staff and prisoners had been 'transformed'.
The inspectors said they rarely see a prison make the sort of progress that has been evident at Maghaberry.
All the improvements that have been made are to the credit of staff and management involved.
However, reservations remain over the handling of vulnerable prisoners, with five inmates dying by suicide since the last inspection.
Clearly, there are areas that still need attention but the fact that the prison has changed for the better in many respects must be welcomed.
This improvement also underlines the importance of regular and robust inspections and putting the findings into the public domain.
