Maze Prison escape attending a Christmas party, and escaped on the coach taking the families out of the prison. He was never apprehended. The 1983 Maze prison break was dramatised in the 2017 film "Maze", directed by Stephen Burke. Maze Prison escape The Maze Prison escape (known to Irish republicans as the Great Escape) took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe, and held prisoners convicted of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles.
Irish Prison Service Irish Prison Service The Irish Prison Service (IPS) () manages the day-to-day operation of prisons in the Republic of Ireland. Political responsibility for the Ireland's prisons rests with the Minister of the Department of Justice and Equality. As of 2018, the Irish Prison Service oversees 13 facilities with an official capacity of 4,269, and a total population of 3,992, including pretrial detainees. Among all prisoners, 4.6% are female, 16.7% are pretrial detainees, and 1.0% are under the age of 18. In 2018, the Irish Prison Service had an annual budget of €327.37 million and it had a staff of 3,186