The Correctional Services Agency is in talks with the health authorities for the transition of the forensic ward at Mount Carmel Hospital to new premises but it is almost certain it will not be incorporated within the Corradino Correctional Facility, as suggested by a magisterial inquiry five years ago.
The forensic ward, opened in 2005, caters for inmates in need of special psychiatric care.
A 2019 magisterial inquiry into the death of inmate Johan Pace, led by Magistrate Joe Mifsud, had recommended the closure of the forensic ward in Attard and its transfer to Corradino.
But, five years later, Chris Siegersma, CEO of the Correctional Services Agency, underlined the importance that any such centre would remain in the vicinity of a mental health facility because this would improve its logistical running.
The relocation of the forensic ward may become an issue in the months ahead as the government has pledged to close down Mount Carmel psychiatric hospital within four years. While the forensic ward is situated on the grounds of Mount Carmel psychiatric hospital it is technically part of the Corradino Correctional Facility.
Should the government follow through with its promise of closing Mount Carmel altogether and agree with the recommendation by a committee of experts that mental health services should be provided in the same place where physical health services are provided, then the forensic ward would probably have to be relocated to Mater Dei Hospital.
Speaking to Times of Malta, Siegersma assured that, apart from the physical relocation of the forensic ward, “all the recommendations from the magisterial inquiry [into Pace’s death] have been implemented”.
Pace collapsed in his cell at the forensic ward but died on arrival at Mater Dei on June 23, 2018.
The Mifsud magisterial inquiry had found a series of shortcomings in the forensic ward, raising issues of overpopulation, lack of security and transparency.
The inquiry was adamant that there should be a clear distinction between Mount Carmel and the forensic unit and recommended the creation of a separate entrance to the latter with similar security controls to the ones in place at Corradino.
The inquiry also suggested that there should be complete transparency regarding the admission of individuals to the unit.
The inquiry into Pace’s death had revealed the presence of a number of weapons “which certainly do not belong in a facility where individuals need special attention due to some mental condition”.
Magistrate Mifsud had also called for a thorough review and the need for the constant watch of inmates at the forensic ward because it was evident that Pace “had been behaving abnormally for a long time and was given help very late and not in time”.
The magisterial inquiry had found the forensic ward to be overpopulated with 48 inmates in living space that was meant to hold 18 individuals.
Finally, it concluded that “there should be a building within the Kordin Correctional Facility complex that serves as the Forensic Unit”.
Siegersma told Times of Malta that access to the forensic ward is now through a separate entrance, which has improved accessibility and security.
“Enhanced security controls have been implemented, aligning with those at the Corradino Correctional Facility to ensure safety and maintain order,” he said.
On the monitoring of inmates, Siegersma said this has been improved “to ensure individuals displaying risky behaviour are kept under constant watch, preventing any lapses in supervision”.
Besides, “the forensic ward is now only catering for the originally intended number of individuals and all admissions are carried out according to the Mental Health Act”.
Siegersma also said that processes have been put in place to improve transparency on how individuals are admitted, which include “clearer documentation and communication protocols”.
Over the years, this has been “abused” with defence lawyers requesting that the courts recommend their clients be sent to the forensic unit at Mount Carmel rather than prison at Corradino.
In 2019, one such request was turned down by the presiding magistrate, who also happened to be Mifsud, ruling that the forensic ward was not a prison in terms of law.
The improvements in the running of the forensic ward have not prevented the death of another inmate a few weeks ago, however. Jesmond Gatt, 54, was found unconscious with head injuries in a pool of blood last July. He succumbed to his injuries 19 days later.
Although the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear, the official version of events states that Gatt had slipped and hit his head.
Times of Malta had quoted sources indicating that Gatt had been sharing a room with two other inmates, raising questions about the safety of such arrangements in the case of patients with mental health problems.