Government denies investment reduction in education services offered to prisoners

Correctional Services Director Abraham Zammit denied that investment in the educational services offered at the Corradino Correctional Facility has decreased.

Zammit was reacting to an interview with one of the part-time teachers at Corradino, carried yesterday by One News.

In a statement issued by the Justice Ministry, Zammit said the educational investment in prisoners has increased - and not decreased - over the past years.

"This has also led for a substantial increase in the variety of educational activities from which prisoners can choose from, an increase in the time allocated and an increase in the number of prisoners attending the courses," Zammit said.

He added that lately there has been an increase in the number of prisoners attending the courses and sitting for exams. Demand for educational services has increased since the school opened at Corradino, Zammit said.

"This has led to an increase in school hours during the week and is now opening on Saturdays as well. This can also be said for courses provided to prisoners outside the Facility's premises in various educational entities."

Zammit said that, as could happen in various courses, the attendance for a particular course could decrease since the start of that course.

"This could happen because of lack of interest generated by the particular subject, or the way the teacher delivers the subject. The educator interviewed by One News is in fact giving only a two-hour-lesson per week, as the students in his class went down to just two," Zammit said.

The Director added that educational services given at Corradino will continue to improve as soon as the reform of the Restorative Justice is implemented next year.