One in four prisoners from Grand Harbour towns

The number of prisoners hailing from the Grand Harbour area has shot up from one-fifth to one-fourth of the prison population since 2010.

Statistics presented in parliament show that 88 out of 336 Maltese inmates at the Corradino Correctional Facility hail from the Grand Harbour towns of Valletta, Marsa, Floriana, Bormla, Birgu, Isla, Kalkara and Xghajra.

A comparison with statistics presented in parliament in 2010 show that the number of Maltese prisoners hailing from these localities has shot up from 20% to 26%. 

On its own, Valletta accounts for 27 prisoners (up from 24 in 2010), surpassing Malta's largest town - Birkirkara - which accounts for 16 prisoners.

Valletta has dubious honour of boasting the highest percentage of incarcerated inhabitants in Malta, even if this amounts to just 0.5% of its population.

Gozo, which accounts for 8% of the Maltese population, only accounts for 2% of Maltese inmates. Only 7 inmates hail from Gozo. 

The only northern locality with a relatively high number of inmates is St Paul's Bay, which accounts for 24 residents (7%) of the prison population. But less than 0.2% of the northern locality's population is incarcerated.