Byron Camilleri gives details of 2019 restraint chair incident

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri admitted that there was an instance in 2019 where a prisoner was kept on a chair for 15 minutes until he was “no longer a threat to himself”.

“The management of the Correctional Services Agency informed me that in 2019 there was a case where a prisoner was kept on a chair for 15 minutes until he was no longer a threat to himself and could be given the necessary attention,” he responded in a parliamentary question. 

“There are restraint tools that are only used in accordance with the law. In fact, it is this same law that does not allow such devices to be used for punishment. These devices are used according to the severity of the case as it happens in other environments that offer a certain danger or particular challenges and always as a last resort.”

A recent report made by newspaper Illum said that until a few months ago one of the punishments given to prisoners was that of being bound to a chair while naked.

The Minister denied the use of a punishment chair in prison, but had admitted that a prisoner was once tied to a chair upon recommendation by a doctor.

He pointed out that prisoners only change out of their clothing when there are suspicions that the prisoner could hurt himself. In this case, the person is made to wear ‘non-tearable clothes’ and put under constant watch until medical experts conduct their analysis.

Camilleri said that there has been no other use of restraint tools after this date.

According to a parliamentary question put forward by PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami towards Byron Camilleri, there are currently 908 prisoners being held at Corradino Correctional Facility - 356 are Maltese nationals, while 552 are of foreign nationality.