The Maze Prison

<p><em>The Maze Prison</em> shows how an establishment built to hold those involved in terrorism atrocities murder and allied crimes became a pawn in the partisan conflict that was Northern Ireland. There followed a breakdown of norms values and control as the last of these shifted from Governors to Ministers outside officials and even prisoners. This led to the (often random) killing of prison officers and countless allegations denials and obfuscations as Prison Rules came into conflict with claims to be treated as prisoners-of-war or be given Special Category status. A social document <em>par excellence</em> this stark slant on The Troubles and Peace Process cuts through the propaganda and base politics to reveal the truth about the H-Blocks hunger-strikes escapes and power struggles. Based on actual records and personal accounts it challenges myths and legends to warn how easily a community can descend into what the author calls <em>anomie</em>. An invaluable record of ‘One of the most dangerous prisons in the world’.</p>