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Though the prisons are mentioned quite frequently, very few know what they are really all about. If it is true what Dostoyevsky says, that “if one wants to know a country, one has to know its prisons”, then many do not know their country. The prisons are a complex reality that sentiment alone, or emotion, cannot unravel. Moreover, the prisons do not exist in a vacuum, and their existence is closely connected and related to other institutions, namely the legislative body, the courts, and the police. On the other hand, internally the prisons are a world apart.
This makes working with prisoners or their close relatives, in whatever capacity (medical, psychological, religious, social, humanitarian, judicial, or otherwise), an especially challenging, though rewarding, task. It is a task that demands a thorough understanding of what the prisons stand for, how their management closely affects prisoners and their families, and what potentialities and dangers they enclose. Knowledge and understanding are the keys to more humane, productive, and cost-effective prisons.
Having said this, it might interest some of your readers to know that shortly a 6-week course, exploring the ins and outs of Malta’s prisons, will be offered. The course, which will be in Maltese, and is unique in its genre, commences on February 27, and held every Monday and Thursday between 6.30pm and 8.15pm at the YTC premises, 227, Merchant Street, Valletta. Those interested may sign up on 21801205, 99463324 or send an email on geol@bluebottle.com. A nominal fee is charged for notes and books. Places are limited.
George Busuttil
Secretary, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl
www.mddmalta.org
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