Malta's prison population up by over 11% last year
Report finds 42% of detainees are still awaiting trial
Malta’s prison population increased by over 11% last year, reaching a total of 671 inmates.
A Council of Europe report on prison populations flagged how Malta was one of 13 countries to see a “significant increase” in prison populations in 2024.
While several prisons across Europe were found to be operating at or over full capacity, Malta’s prison density was put at 83 inmates per 100 places available. In Malta, the prison population rate was 119 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants.
Despite the increase in prison population last year, the report found the inmate population in Malta has dipped by 10.4% when compared to 2013.
Over half of those imprisoned in Malta (52%) are foreign nationals.
The report said that 42% of Malta’s inmates are pre-trial detainees, meaning that they have yet to be handed a final sentence by a court.
This rate of pre-trial detainees is notably higher than the European average of 26%.
The situation appears to have deteriorated over the past years.
In 2022, a US study said 34% of the prison population was in pre-trial detention.
Last week, another Council of Europe report said Malta’s prison remains overcrowded and dilapidated, with inmates in one division experiencing “inhuman and degrading” conditions.
In its report, the Council of Europe’s committee on the prevention of torture and inhuman treatment outlined the state of Malta’s places of detention, including the Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF) as well as detention centres for young offenders and undocumented migrants.
The report is based on the delegation’s visit in September 2023.
A TimesTalk podcast filmed inside CCF earlier this year revealed that while some divisions were in dire need of refurbishment, efforts to modernise the facility were ongoing, with several works having been carried out in recent months.