Together with broadcaster and long-time prison activist Peppi Azzopardi I recently launched ‘100 Ideas’ towards a humane prison. I am inviting society to reflect on these proposals which will, hopefully,  contribute towards improving our prison system. This institution is costing taxpayers around €120 million per legislature and most of the money has to be ‘reinvested’ and put back into the system because of the failures (mainly recidivism).

It is a fact that our prison is in shambles and statistics bear this out.

Sixty- six per cent recidivism and circa 72 per cent of inmates, according to government sources, are coming from intergenerational crime families. There have been 13 deaths in prison in a short period of time, some of which were suicides (the latest being a 29-year-old and a 30-year-old). 

Also, when you listen to the stories of prisoners, ex-prisoners, members of their families and prison officials you realise the seriousness of the situation. We rank among the highest in terms of people incarcerated and the number of suicides occurring in prison in Europe.

These statistics are compounded by horror stories such as a coercive method of running the prison (vide the famous notice stuck on the prison director’s office), a torture chair which is used for restraint, allegations on the use of bed restraint methods, the indiscriminate use of solitary confinement, a culture of retribution, revenge and confrontational tactics as well as lack of education opportunities.

All of this is combined with an erratic, fitful and unpredictable prison leadership and politicians allowing this chaos.

These researched ‘100 Ideas’ were well-received by social policy experts, health professionals, social operators, criminologists, sociologists, NGOs, academics and politicians. What we need to do now is to move away from a retributive to a welfare-based model typical of the Nordic countries, which have generally seen a drop in criminality and recidivism.

Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge of the minister for home affairs has contributed to the situation getting worse.  One of our recommendations is that the prison portfolio be moved to the ministry for social solidarity.

The prison portfolio should be moved to the ministry for social solidarity- Andrew Azzopardi

We also need to demilitarise the prisons. It is important that prison officials work in close proximity to the inmates and are not looked upon as soldiers ready to pounce on them.

The current director needs to be transferred out of the institution due to his fitful behaviour and his ‘love’ for castigation and retribution. We need to have the right people managing the place to get us away from the macho culture that has dominated the prison.

We need a director who is self-reflective, motivated and a good communicator, a person who is ready to handle crises situations, not create them, a person with high emotional intelligence and not commanded by his ego.

We also need a whole array of social operators and academics to compliment the leadership and provide substance to a drab and dry institution that has run out of ideas. 

I believe there are competent people who would be ready to run the prison system with a decisive, humane and welfare grounded leadership. 

Now imagine a prison where people pay their dues, come out of the system and then live in our communities where they are welcomed by neighbours. 

Imagine a prison that has removed the anger and resentment from inmates who then turn out to be better persons willing to contribute to society.

Imagine a prison which transmits love and that becomes an opportunity for people to redeem themselves and who come out rejuvenated and improved citizens. 

Imagine a prison which is known all over the world for its effective method, which are based on the values that we have always trusted in, that is, those of equity and equality, of inclusion and solidarity.

We need to have the courage to do the right thing. So many prisons have gone down this road and made great strides forward, namely places like Bastoy Prison and Halden Prison in Norway, Otago Corrections Facility in New Zealand and HMP Prison Addiewell in Scotland.

We can do the right thing by taking decisive action.