Government says reforms underway for prisons

"It is a pity that instead of concretely contributing to the reforms government is undertaking, the Opposition is trying to meddle with the process making statements based on misinformation which government has pointed out more than once," the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.

The ministry was reacting to a press conference held yesterday by shadow minister Michael Falzon over this week's criminal court sentence. The criminal court sentenced 'Queen' Josette Bickle to 12 years in prison after finding her guilty of running a heroin-trafficking operation out of her cell between 2006 and 2008.

Falzon said the Labour Party, voluntary organisations and Caritas have long been warning government over the deteriorating situation at the Corradino Correctional Facility, but government ignored those warnings.

"Today we are in a situation where CCF has changed from 'Midnight Express' to 'Corradino Express', with the joke among lawyers being the prisons are a supermarket for narcotics," Falzon said, and went on to quote from figures published this week in the media.

The Justice Ministry reiterated that the 41% figure of prisoners who tested positive for drugs, was not provided by CCF: "It is clear this is a mistaken figure and does not reflect the reality at Corradino."

The Ministry said there was no specific figure which refers to individuals who became drug addicts during their stay at the prison.

"In fact, the figures show that out of the 480 inmates tested, 1.95% tested positive for drug use."

The prisoners were tested in the last year and a half. "One must also remember that the figures provided by the Commission referred to individuals who tested positive on admission," the Ministry added.

While handing down his sentence in the Bickle case, Mr Justice Mallia said with the ease, which Bickle managed to smuggle the drugs pointed to "collusion" with the prison authorities.

The Ministry said the criminal procedures against Josette Bickle took place following a report prepared by a board of inquiry appointed by the Justice Ministry.

The board was appointed after the former prison director resigned from his post.

"The board's report paved the way for a number of reforms at CCF. The reforms include a number of initiatives related to drugs and the rehabilitation of prisoners."