Miss Devlin Sewing Shirts In Prison

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 3

Miss Devlin Sewing Shirts In Prison

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter —Copyright) BELFAST, July 16. Miss Bernadette Devlin, Britaift’s youngest member of Parliament, is now earning five shillings a week in prison sewing shirts for policemen. Miss Devlin, aged 23, independent civil rights M.P. for Mid-Ulster (Northern Ireland), is serving a sixrnonth sentence for her part in last August’s Londonderry riots. She was found guilty of throwing stones and

organising the throwing of petrol bombs at police during the riots. Shirt-sewing is one of the routine chores in Armagh Prison, and while she earns a few shillings a week there, her annual parliamentary salary of £3250 continues. But Miss Devlin, who was re-elected in the General Election of June 18, cannot collect her Parliamentary wages until she has personally taken an oath of allegiance to the Queen. With remission for good conduct, Miss Devlin may only serve four months of her sentence which began on June 26.

Miss Devlin’s campaign agent, Mr Louden Seth, said that she regards the shirtsewing as “a huge joke.” But he added that she is settling down and' accepting prison life, although she is frustrated with not being able to carry on with her constituency work. Hundreds of letters are carefully vetted by prison authorities every day. Some are allowed through, and those regarded as unimportant are returned to the senders.

Northern Ireland’s Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Robert Porter) will receive a delegation on Monday to protest against her not being able to carry on constituency work.

The British Home Secretary (Mr Reginald Maudling) said during a recent visit to Northern Ireland that Miss Devlin would be able to receive some constituents “in their interests.”