There are many techniques that have been used by the Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary interrogators since 1971, and nearly all of them involve some facet of sensory deprivation, such as wall-standing, lack of sleep, restricted diet, etc. but since the full-scale of experiments in August and October 1971 were concluded, in general more traditional methods have been used. The most common are simple beatings, generally administered with fist and boot, though weapons or blunt intruments have sometimes been used. Particularly common abuses include twisting of arms and legs, hitting or squeezing genital organs. kicking of shins and legs and blows to the stomach, chest and kidneys while in the search position.

Fathers Faul and Murray have listed the 'Twenty-five Principal Methods of Torture used in Holywood and Birchwoood Barracks':

1. Placeing a man in 'search position', single finger of each hand to the wall, legs well apart and well back, on the toes, knees bent, for prolonged periods;


2. heavy punching to the pit of the stomach to man in 'search position';


3. kicking the legs from under a man in the 'search position' so that he falls to the ground, banging his head on the wall, radiator or ground;


4. beating with batons on the kidneys and on the privates in 'search position';


5. kicking between the legs while in the 'search position'. This is very popular among the RUC officers and they do it often for periods of half an hour or an hour;


6. putting a man in 'search position' over a very powerful electric fire or radiator;


7. stretching a man over benches with two electric fires underneath and kicking him in the stomach;


8. rabbit-punching to the back of the neck while in 'search position';


9. banging the head against the wall;


10. beating the head with a baton in crescendo fashion;


11. slapping the ears and face with an open hand;


12. twisting the arms behind the back and twisting fingers;


13. prodding the stomach with straight fingers;


14. chopping blows to the ribs from behind with simultaneous blows ti the stomach;


15. hand squeezing of the testicles;


16. insertion of instruments into the anal passage;


17. kicking on the knees and shins;


18. tossing the prisoners from one officer to another and punching him while in the air;


19. injections;


20. electric cattle prod;


21. electric shocks given by use of a machine;


22. burning with matches and candles;


23. deprivation of sleep;


24. urinating on prisoners;


25. psychological tortures;
    • Russian roulette
    
    
    • firing blanks
    
    
    • beating men in darkness
    
    
    • blindfolding
    
    
    • assailants using stocking masks
    
    
    • wearing surgical dress
    
    
    • staring at white perforated wall in small cubicle
    
    
    • use of amphetamine drugs
    
    
    • prisoners are threatended; threats to their families, bribes offered, false confessions are used

By 1974 Castlereagh Road Barracks had been replaced by the Springfield Road Barracks as the most notorious 'interrogation' centre. Apart from the now-standard physical brutality, there was a new development: the 'black room' where suspects, mainly teenagers and schoolboys, were kept in isolation and complete darkness while tape recordings of people being beaten up are played through the walls