Prison amnesty | 25 male, seven female convicts walk out of Corradino

Relatives and friends gathered outside the Corradino prisons as 32 of 54 inmates benefitting from the 100-day amnesty walked out of jail today.

7 June 2013, 12:00am
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

A total of 143 inmates will be released 100 days earlier by the end of year.

Thirty-two inmates, seven of which are women, walked out of the Corradino Correctional Facility today after government granted a 100-day amnesty to mark the change in the country's administration.

By the end of this month, a total of 54 prisoners would have benefited from this amnesty. The number will reach 143 by the end of the year.

Relatives and friends were seen gathering infront of the prisons at Corradino as they waited for the convicts to be released.

The amnesty has however sparked mixed reactions, not only at political level but also among the general public.

While relatives of the prisoners' welcome their return home, victims and their families have expressed a sense of betrayal and hurt.

The Opposition has accused the government of awarding an amnesty which was too broad. The amnesty does not apply to rapists, prisoners guilty of abusing minors and those involved in human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping and abandonment of minors.

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, Mallia's shadow minister, commented that government seemed to be going back in time since the last amnesty given following a general election was in 1996, when the then Labour government had granted amnesty to 80 prisoners.

The PN government had given five amnesties between September 1987 and 1992 to mark a change in government.

More from Staff Reporter

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WELL DONE MALLIA I AM SURE THAT THE MOST GREATFULL TO YOU ARE THEIR FAMILIES AND ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN WHOM HAVE CRIED AND MISSED THEIR MOTHERS OR FATHERS WHILIST IN PRISON SERVING THEIR SENTENCE.HOPEFULLY THESE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE LEARNT THEIR LESSON AND WILL NEVER GO BACK TO PRISON.

Emmanuel Mallia •

The prison system is not the best way to reform a person. Are we looking at their past ? Were they victims of our society ? Were they rejected by society ? The justice system often does not give consideration to psychological, social, lifestyle and other factors, but only considers the offense and nothing else !

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L-amnestija ma messitx inghatat lir-recedivi!!!

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2 of the amnestiees were already dealing in drugs this morning.

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Jason Azzopardi has such a short memory! In his time Jason had proposed a PARDON FOR ALL! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The PN did not "give" amnesties, it gave STATE-OF-THE-ART Presidential Pardons..... usually neqotiates under some bridge at St.Julians, "amnesties" that have cost us, and are STILL COSTING US THOUSANDS!