In a review of the treatment of persons held in prison, immigration detention, and police custody, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) reports progress but also persistent concerns since earlier visits in 2015 and 2020.
This new report is based on the CPT's sixth periodic visit to Malta in September and October 2023. In the prison system, Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF) and the Centre of Residential Restorative Services (CORRs) have seen a shift towards better psychological support and reintegration planning. Most prisoners reported correct treatment by staff and a generally calm environment. However, the CPT did receive a few allegations of staff slapping prisoners, and the occasional rough pushing and kicking of prisoners.
The conditions and physical state of the prison remains poor. Many sections of the facility are dilapidated, poorly ventilated, and overcrowded. Increased use of effective alternatives to detention is key to reducing prisoner populations and the CPT considers that a review is necessary to examine possibilities to increase the use of alternatives to detention to reduce the number of remand and short-sentenced prisoners. On a positive note, sentence and care plans were now drawn up for each prisoner on a systematic basis. Psycho-social interventions appeared regular and thorough.
Less positive is that despite an open-door policy during the day, many prisoners remain confined to their blocks with minimal access to outdoor space and few purposeful activities, contributing to a sense of idleness and frustration.
