Labour leader Joseph Muscat this morning visited the prisons at Corradino and called for more resources for prisoner rehabilitation programmes.

He was taken on an extensive tour of the facility, meeting inmates and staff.

In comments to the press afterwards, Dr Muscat said it was important that prisoner rehabilitation programmes were well resourced so that the prisoners could become citizens who would contribute to society and for the number of repeat offenders to fall.

He also called for better conditions of work for the staff, saying they were working very long hours which would be unacceptable by European standards had this not been a disciplined force.

Dr Muscat said there had been an improvement in the infrastructure of the prison although more remained to be done.

Asked about parole, Dr Muscat said the MLP was awaiting the government's proposals and would then discuss the issue.

Asked to comment about the reported police beatings of a migrant at he weekend, he said that he could not condone gratuitous violence, regardless of who the person was. He understood that the police at times needed to use an element of force but there was no explanation for any violence after a person was handcuffed. Dr Muscat said he would await the outcome of an investigation.