New aftercare programme is ‘missing link’ in prison rehabilitation

A new offender aftercare programme aimed at helping inmates reintegrate into society after leaving prison is “the missing link” in rehabilitation, according to the Correctional Services Agency’s chief operations officer.

“In these past two years, I saw people leave prison after making significant positive changes, and I had high expectations for them. But, unfortunately, for one reason or another, some came back,” Etienne Scicluna said.

He explained that the Correctional Services Agency could not continue supporting people once they were released.

“This project is the missing link that will keep giving direction to people who can easily get lost,” he said.

The new Offender Aftercare and Reintegration Support programme, known as OARS, will provide six months of tailored assistance before, during and after inmates leave prison, helping them reintegrate successfully into society.

The initiative follows agreements signed between the Home Affairs Ministry, through the Correctional Services Agency, and the Social Policy Ministry, together with NGOs Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl Foundation and SOS Malta.

A €1.2 million investment will fund the programme over the next three years.

A multidisciplinary team, including social workers, mental health specialists and family therapists, will work with participants throughout the programme.

Scicluna said the people encountered in prison had often been let down by others throughout their lives, meaning that earning their trust required considerable time and effort.

“We have an important role to play in helping them build trust in the professionals within OARS,” he said.

‘It comes with mixed feelings’

Forensic psychologist Claire Camilleri said release from prison was a major psychosocial and emotional transition.

“It comes with mixed feelings, including fear and loneliness, as some may have become alienated from their families,” she said, adding that these emotions could push former inmates back towards harmful coping mechanisms.

Former inmates also face questions about their identity.

“They ask themselves: ‘Who am I? When I was in prison, I was an inmate, someone who hurt another person. Now who am I?’” Camilleri said.

She explained that many former inmates must rebuild their identities as parents, sons or daughters, colleagues and members of society.

Research shows that many offenders experienced trauma before entering prison, and the programme aims to help them address it.

“There is also the trauma of imprisonment itself — a place with bells, uniforms and little light. Then, suddenly, they are out on their own,” she said.

The programme will help participants develop healthier ways of coping with their problems, she added.

Six months of support

Charlene Calleja, from Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl Foundation, and Graziella Schiavone, from SOS Malta, outlined how the programme will operate.

The process begins while individuals are still at the Corradino Correctional Facility, with referrals made around 12 weeks before their release.

During this period, the team assesses each person’s circumstances and needs before developing an initial support plan.

Participation is voluntary, and individuals must be willing to engage with the programme.

Around six weeks before their release, participants meet the full multidisciplinary team in a joint session. This allows them to tell their story once, while the professionals work together to develop a comprehensive reintegration plan.

Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield said the programme represented an investment in people that would ultimately strengthen public safety by equipping former inmates with the tools needed to rebuild their lives.

“Safety does not end with a jail term, but when the conditions that lead someone to commit a crime are reduced,” he said, adding that this was the government’s vision for rehabilitation.

He said the programme was innovative because it did not wait until a person left prison. Instead, rehabilitation would begin while the individual was still incarcerated and continue seamlessly after release, ensuring continuity of care and support.

Social Policy and Family Minister Michael Falzon said it was the first time the government had entered into such an agreement with two NGOs to provide coordinated reintegration support.

“People do not have a switch that will suddenly help them find light. They need time for transition, and this is the concept of aftercare,” he said.

“We owe it to them and to ourselves to give them a second chance.”

The programme comes amid renewed discussion about the effectiveness of imprisonment as a rehabilitative measure.

During a conference in June, forensic psychologists Yanika Tabone and Kevin Sammut Henwood said the estimated daily cost of housing an inmate was around €128, while Malta’s prison population exceeded 500.

They questioned whether this growing expenditure was translating into meaningful rehabilitation for offenders or positive outcomes for victims.

Existing research consistently suggests that incarceration alone is not an effective solution and can contribute to a range of medical, psychological and social problems.