President inaugurates new music room at prison

The President, George Abela, officially opened a new sound-proof music room at the Corradino Facility Centre, early this afternoon.

Abela said that the purpose of the project - which was funded by the Community Chest Fund - was to ensure that inmates make use of their idle time, something which he described as "valuable".

"One must not underestimate the opportunity to make use of any idle time which is offered to them.  Of course, such circumstances (inmates having such available time due to their imposed jail terms) are not ordinary ones but the what is crucial is to admit to past mistakes, and more importantly, to decide what the next steps are going to be," Abela said.

The President hoped that this initiative, as well as the project to build a football pitch for inmates, will serve as a message to society. It will, he hoped, show the 'outside world' that inmates are still valuable to society.

He referred to world-acclaimed British author and playwright Jeffrey Archer as an example of someone who, whilst serving a prison sentence of his own, discovered his talent and passion for writing.

Also present for the opening was the Minister for Home Affairs, Emmanuel Mallia, who reiterated Abela's sentiments, adding that it was the success of projects like these which were amongst the closest to his heart.

"Due to the opening of this music room, prisoners are being given opportunities to leave better and more fulfilled citizens than when they came in," he said.

Mallia said that he did not believe in wholly good people, just like he did not think there were any wholly bad people. He said that everyone had an element of good in them, and that it was initiatives like these which, whilst nothing too large, could help prisoners rediscover their element of 'good'.

He also divulged that the government was in the process of looking for a new prisons director, who will succeed Emanuel Camilleri.

Earlier today, it was reported that that an illegal substance suspected to be heroin, was found during a raid at the Corradino Centre.

Mallia said that the prisons had a no-tolerance policy on drugs, saying that all Correctional Centres serve as a continuation in the fight against drugs.

This afternoon's event included a performance by famed inmate Emmanuel Balzan, better known as Tristan B.