Prisoners did not want universal amnesty

On 4^th June, the government announced a 100-day amnesty from which benefitted almost all the prisoners. Yet on the same day, 80 prisoners from the Corradino Correctional Facility had told home affairs minister Manuel Mallia that not all the prisoners should benefit from the 100-day amnesty.

In a letter delivered by the new director of the facility, the prisoners mentioned various cases in which two prisoners committed the same offence and received different sentences.

They mentioned a case where someone in possession of 1,000 pills of ecstasy received 15 years' imprisonment, while another person with 10,000 pills (a tenfold increase) received a 10-year sentence.

"Does a sentencing policy exist? This is an injustice in the name of justice. What are you going to do?" they ask in their letter.

In this context, they suggested to the ministry that the amnesty should apply according to the sentence given, or else those who benefitted from a less substantial sentence than the one deserved would still benefit from the 100-day amnesty.

In the same letter dating 4^th June, they also allege that some prisoners have preferential treatment; for instance a particular prisoner went swimming and had a Chinese massage while supposedly on prison leave.

Prisoners also demanded air-conditioning, supply of cold drinking water and billiard in every division.

Read more in today's issue of 'Illum'.