One issue clearly stands in the way of full backing for the Stormont Agreement among Ireland's politicians and people. The point of contention is the proposal for the release of prisoners within two years.

For some, it is seen as a vital element to ending the conflict, but for families of the prisoners' victims, there is much pain involved in forgetting the past.

The BBC's Belfast correspondents, Brian Rowan and Mervyn Jess, report on the potential effects of this controversial aspect of the deal on the prisoners, prison workers, the victims' families and overall peace in the region.

It is an issue that was always going to touch a raw nerve out in the community. Most of those who will benefit from the proposed arrangements on the early release of prisoners are held in the Maze - a jail which has thrown up stories of escape, of protest, of death on hunger strike and of murder. Now its prisoners are at the centre of yet another political controversy.

The early release package will mean an increase in prisoner remission from 50 to 66 per cent and reductions in life sentences. A two-year review point is also built into the proposals, which means that all prisoners affiliated to organisations on ceasefire - at this stage, the IRA, the UVF, the UFF and the Red Hand Commando - could be freed by the end of this period.

The proposals contained within the Agreement would allow for more than 200 prisoners to be set free by July next year, 55 of whom are serving life sentences. Republicans and loyalists see this as an essential ingredient of conflict resolution while others view it as a betrayal of the victims of terrorism.

An 'emotive' issue

William Smith, a former loyalist prisoner, who now speaks for UVF and Red Hand Commando inmates and who helped negotiate the controversial early release deal, accuses the "no" campaigners of trying to "emotionalise" the issue:

"The thought that the gates are going to be opened and that people are going to walk out immediately is totally wrong," Mr Smith said. "We see the 'no' campaign using the prisoners as scapegoats to try to boost their campaign. The prisoners will be released through a Sentence Review Board. They will have to apply individually and they will not be released all at once."

Alan Shannon, Chief Executive of the Prison Service, described how this new Sentence Review Body would function: "It has really two tasks. The first one is to decide if a prisoner is eligible for the scheme. The second task is to determine what length of sentence the prisoner ought to serve.

"So once the body is established, prisoners will then be invited to apply, If they meet the criteria then they will get a date from the Body which could be within this two year period or could be beyond that," he said.

Paul Butler was jailed when he was 17 for the murder of a policeman and served a 15-year sentence. He told us he always intended returning to "the struggle", and joined the political wing of the Republican Movement. He is now a Sinn Fein councillor in Lisburn.

He acknowledges that the early release issue is highly emotive, particularly for those who have had family killed over the past three decades: "Whatever criticisms people make, we accept the criticisms and all the anger that is coming from relatives.

"It's justifiable, in a lot of cases great hurt has been dealt upon them - but if we are going to move out of this conflict situation the only way to move forward is by prisoner releases, is by confronting all of that and acknowledging it. But at the same time we can't stay in the past, we must move into the future," Mr Butler said.

Financial assistance

The Government realises that the feelings of the families of the victims of violence must be given greater recognition and in recent days more money has been made available for those who have suffered. The precise amount and how it will be used has yet to be clarified. Prisoner aid groups are looking for more money to ensure the successful reintegration of those released back into their communities.

The Prison Officers' Association will also be seeking cash compensation for its members whose jobs are threatened by a dwindling prison population. There are twice as many prison officers as prisoners and the cost of holding an inmate in Northern Ireland is three times the United Kingdom average.

The Association's Chairman, Finlay Spratt, believes something in the region of 1,000 jobs are threatened and that two jails face closure. He says he will be negotiating for special deals: "The normal civil service redundancy package is not appropriate in this situation.

"Twenty nine of our colleagues have been murdered, quite a number of our colleagues have been left they will never work again and we've given thirty years service and I think that has to be recognised," Mr Spratt pointed out.

With a quarter of the prison population - about 400 inmates - affected by the early release scheme, Alan Shannon of the Prison Service accepts there will be a downsizing of the 1200 staff currently in the Maze.

"I don't see the Maze closing in the short term but obviously the size of the jail and the number of staff employed within it could be affected quite quickly once this process starts," he said.

Prospects for peace

So an uncertain future for those who work within the Prison Service, but what about the prospects for peace - are those who work closely with prisoners optimistic that the Agreement can work ? Marion Green of the Ex-Prisoners Interpretative Centre says she is:" I'm very optimistic. This is the first time we've ever come this far in Northern Ireland. We have an Agreement which I feel is very positive."

But there are words of caution from the man who spent 15 years of his early life behind bars. Paul Butler repeats what many in the republican leadership have been saying over recent weeks. Peace has not yet been achieved, the process is transitional and the thirty-year conflict has yet to be resolved.

" Anybody who's involved in the Republican Movement or who has been active in the IRA have all got a contribution to make to the struggle. As we said, the struggle is not over and in the future they can make a positive contribution to bringing about an end ( to conflict ) and a lasting peace and a lasting settlement in this country," he said.

And with the words "the IRA hasn't gone away", Mr Butler also echoed the controversial views of Gerry Adams. If it does comes back, the immediate effect would be the freezing of all IRA prisoner releases.
 

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