Prisoners who have served over twenty years

The experiences of these men have been similar. All were sentenced during the period of massive anti-Irish hysteria in Britain in the mid-seventies. In some of the cases the Judges `recommended' times to serve. Several of these were for 20 years. All have suffered beatings and ill-treatment. The cycle of ill-treatment / protest / punishment has been their way of life for 20 years. The hardship and worry on families has been horrendous. The continued imprisonment of these men is a scandal. If there were no peace process they would have been released already - their continued detention in the present circumstances is nothing short of vindictiveness.