About Us

The Prisoner Ombudsman is appointed by the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland and is completely independent of the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS).

The Prisoner Ombudsman investigates complaints from prisoners held in Northern Ireland who remain unhappy with how their complaint has been responded to by the Prison Service.

From 1 February 2010, visitors to prisoners in Northern Ireland can refer their complaint to the Prisoner Ombudsman once the complaint has been first responded to by the Prison Service.

The Prisoner Ombudsman also investigates all deaths in Prison Service custody in Northern Ireland.

The current Prisoner Ombudsman is Tom McGonigle. He is supported in his work by a team of investigators and other support staff.

For more information, use the menu on the right to find out more about the Prisoner Ombudsman and his staff.