Well-behaved prison inmates will soon be able to use a new facility to meet with their children. 

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri inaugurated the secure meeting facility in Marsa on Thursday. 

Camilleri said that while the Corradino Correctional Facility had been given a facelift in recent years, it is not the ideal setting for children. 

Over the years the authorities have explored the possibility of a new facility for inmates to meet their children. 

The new meeting place, which will be operational in the summer, will be run in collaboration with Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl, an NGO which helps inmates going through the correctional process in prison. 

It will be available to inmates accorded special privileges for good behaviour.  

Minister Camilleri said other projects are also in the pipeline, including new educational courses at MCAST to help prisoners transition back into society. 

Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl director George Busuttil said studies suggest that children of inmates can be subject to abuse and bullying. They also miss out on communication and affection from their parents while they serve their sentences. 

This new facility, which includes children’s games and a welcoming environment, would help facilitate the experience of parental contact, he said.