Prisoners are entering the corrective facility in need of rehabilitation and leaving in coffins, the Nationalist Party said as it repeated its calls for the immediate removal of the prison leadership.

“This is a place which is meant to rehabilitate those people, instead people enter this ‘corrective’ facility for rehabilitation but leave in a coffin,” PN spokesperson Peter Agius said on Wednesday. 

Agius was speaking during a press conference held in front of the Corradino Correctional Facility, a day after prisoner Colin Galea died at Mater Dei, eight days after he attempted suicide in his cell.

He has become the 13th prisoner to die since 2018, and the second so far this year. 

Agius said that the director of prison, Alex Dalli, is responsible for the lives of these prisoners, and that 12 prisoners under his administration have exited  the facility in a coffin.

PN candidate Graziella Galea listed a number of proposals to improve life in prison, such as more rehabilitation centres for prisoners who have a drug-dependency, more inmate programmes and half-way houses. 

"We need our prisoners to come out of the situation which ultimately landed them in prision, so that they do not end up there again."

Another election candidate, Darren Carrabott repeated the party's calls for Dalli to be removed.

"The government and prison administration must take decisions now, as we do not want to be here again for another press conference after the death of another prisoner."