Prison population stood at 864 in December

The Corradino Correctional Facility had a population of 864 by the end of December, including 56 female inmates, information tabled in parliament shows.

Almost a third of inmates (260) are still awaiting trial or sentencing, according to Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, who was responding to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Carm Mifsud Bonnici.

There were 604 inmates who were serving a prison sentence.

For comparison’s sake, the prison population exceeds that of the Gozitan villages of Għasri and San Lawrenz.

MaltaToday reported last Sunday that over the past couple of years, a total of 443 individuals were sentenced and imprisoned for crimes relating to immigration and false documentation.

Overpopulation is a reality at the CCF and Camilleri said this week that government was considering expanding the facility.