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Update 2 | Drug tests for prison staff backed by prison regulations
Two prison officials test positive to drug tests after Home Affairs Minister orders urine tests on both prisoners and staff.
27 August 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
A spokesperson for Home Affairs minister Manuel Mallia has justified a decision to test prison staff for drug consumption, citing prison regulations for warders.
The ministry today announced the suspension of two Corradino Correctional Facility warders after testing positive for drugs.
In a comment, the spokesperson said prison regulations prohibited warders from 'taking part in any activity likely to interfere with impartial discharge of his duty or which my give rise to the impression among the public that it my so interfere'; on in 'on or off-duty acts in a disorderly manner or in any manner prejudicial to the discipline of the prison service or likely to bring discredit on the prison service'.
The ministry said it was the first time that CCF employees were submitted to urine testing for an illegal substance.
The same spokesperson said that the ministry was not informed that CCF staff had been taking drugs. "It was good sense for the minister that if we expect the inmates not to consume drugs, the persons responsible for their wellbeing shouldn't either. The staff working in prison fall under a disciplinary corp."
The spokesperson said no member of staff had refused to provide a urine sample.
The two officials have been suspended from Corradino prison pending an investigation from the Public Service Commission.
They were arrested and held at the police headquarters in Floriana, and are expected to be charged in court over "personal use of drugs", the spokesperson said.
The urine tests, carried out on both Corradino Correctional Facility inmates and staff, were ordered by Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia.
According to the ministry, the tests "formed part of new procedures to fight drug abuse at the prisons".
"The minister believes it is unacceptable that a person goes into prison without a drug problem and emerges out as an addict. This goes against the goal of a prison which should serve as a correctional facility," it said.
Drug tests, which started this week, will be carried out periodically. "Tests carried out so far indicate that two official tested positive to cocaine. Further verifications will be made to remove all possible doubts," the ministry added.
The information has been passed on to the Police Commissioner to initiate investigations against the two individuals.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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No wonder drugs are in common use in prison. Regular testing of all staff is needed.
Luke Camilleri •
Ghalhekk iddejaqhom lin -Nazzjonalisti, il-Ministru Mallia u l'ufficju tieghu, GHAX HEMM IS-SERJETA!
Kull min hu ta' rieda tajba, ghandhu ghal fejn ikun ferhan u kburi bil-hidma tal-Ministru Mallia !
Luke Camilleri •
Halluh jahdem il-dan il-Ministru bravu!
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Once again Dr Mallia is showing that he means business, well done, may the other minsters set pace in similar action.
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Prosit MM! Shake up that corrupt institution known as the Public sector! Mintoff started a recovery from the post rundown period, which stopped and was reversed by KMB. The PN really make a hash of the whole sector with their nepotic engagement mode, disgusting vote catching recruitment drives and general lack of moral and fiscal discipline. The party's financial and political bankrupted state of affairs bears testimony to the PN utter lack of good management policies. The PN has always been good at legalities and nothing else.
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U wejja if they were taking drugs on the job its one thing but they were probably doing it off duty so I don't think its fair alla hares everyone found positive for drugs lost their job.
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On what grounds are they being arrested may I ask??
I would agree with suspending them or sacking them but can't really see how they can be arrested
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It's about time the Prison is cleared of this mess. A situation where an inmate becomes drug dependent only after spending a period at the CCF is intolerable. What Dr Mallia has done is good, but i bet that this is the tip of the iceberg. Keep up the pressure, Dr Mallia, and you will succeed to turn the place into a true correctional facility.
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Da Ministru bil-B! Mela l-mastru Buzullotti li kien mohhu biss biex ihaxxen butu bil-mohbi!!!
Priscilla Darmenia •
I do not think that these officers are fit to continue giving a public service and should be removed immediately.
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Random drug testing should be carried out on every civil service employee and that should include managers, police and politicians employed by the government. Nobody is above the law unless the saying is just a myth. One cannot discriminate against one section of government employees. Everybody employed by the Government should be subject to a random drug test.
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Action not just words, keep it up.
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Congratulations Dr.Mallia, keep up the good work. Have any drugs been sold to the inmates and if in the affirmative, were the inmates over charged like they were when purchasing necessary consumables? They say that old vices die hard. Why is it that these tests were never carried out before, when it was common knowledge that this abuse was being carried out? Does the previous Minister who was responsible for the running of the prisons has any comments to make? Were the drugs available to every prisoner or was it according to the highest bidder?
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Minister Mallia seems to be concerned about his internal affairs.
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Some of the prisoners are in there for taking drugs, and then their guards go around doing the same thing. You have to appreciate the irony here.
