Demilitarise Corradino prison, says university dean in 100 proposals for reform

Prison should be demilitarised and its director’s term limited to three years, University of Malta faculty dean Andrew Azzopardi has proposed.

The suggestion was part of 100 proposals drawn up by him in consultation with TV presenter Peppi Azzopardi. Both have been campaigning for a reform in prisons for the past year.

On Tuesday, the 13th death since 2018 inside the Corradino Correctional Facility was confirmed after 30-year-old inmate Colin Galea succumbed to his injuries after attempting suicide last week.

More than 24 hours after the news, a statement is yet to be released by the Home Affairs ministry.

Azzopardi said the prison administration should no longer answer to the Home Affairs ministry, but the ministry responsible for social justice.

A prison ombudsman post should also be created according to Azzopardi, and it would be tasked with analysing complaints, investigating alleged cruelty, investigating prison deaths and analysing suicides. “It should be a completely different entity which falls under the parliament’s remit,” Azzopardi said.

A long-time critic of solitary confinement, Azzopardi said the practice should be made illegal in the country. “It is a method which dehumanises inmates, and its impact is the same as institutionalised torture.”

The university dean also said that for the prison population to be reduced, new measures such as electronic tagging, more justified preventive arrests and the better use of parole is introduced.

He also said NGOs should be given a “carte blanche” to operate inside the prison system, and no longer have their work restricted.

On prison guards, Azzopardi said their current uniform should be abolished, and that they receive training to deal with inmate in a compassionate way. “Torture methods” in prison should be abolished, Azzopardi said, with the “torture chair” and “torture bed” being removed from the building. “Officials should be trained to carry out physical restraint without excessive force or weapons.”

He said an audit should be carried out so that the director’s spending on weapons, and how they are used with the prison walls are investigated.

An inquiry on inquiries that were allegedly were not carried out, or were tampered with, should also be carried out according to Azzopardi, who said that a team of former judges and professionals should be tasked with leading the investigation.

The full list of recommendations can be read here: