Authorities once again find themselves with blood on their hands

The negligence of prison authorities has led to another death that could have been avoided, Moviment Graffitti said. The group was reacting to reports that a woman died, despite prison authorities knowing that she was at risk of committing suicide, according to those with knowledge of Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF). Because of the institutions’ terrible track record with safeguarding inmates’ lives, statements from them on the woman’s wellbeing cannot be trusted. 

According to Peppi Azzopardi, who will be speaking at an event on prison reform tomorrow, imprisoned drug addicts are forced to stop taking drugs without any help. They are also locked up in cells, with nothing to distract them, for 23 hours. This means it is clear that the prison system is torturing those most in need of support, Moviment Graffitti said. 

The mess within our prison can no longer be ignored, the group added. It is clear that prison director Colonel Alexander Dalli does not care about the wellbeing of those he is in charge of keeping safe. Worse than that, he is establishing a culture of negligence, where those at risk of suicide are being ignored. 

Moviment Graffitti insisted that prison should be a place of rehabilitation, not torture. However, it is clear that Dalli is uninterested in safeguarding the wellbeing of prisoners. This has led to unnecessary deaths and practices that mentally abuse inmates.

Malta has the highest rate of suicide in Europe and multiple deaths within CCF have gone unexplained, the group noted. This means the crisis in our prison system is not being treated with urgency by the responsible authorities. 

In fact, it seems this senseless death will be treated like all other suicides at CCF. An unpublished inquiry will take place, and Maltese people will remain ignorant of the facts that led to a person dying in our prison system. While it might be convenient for Dalli and the Home Affairs ministry to hide the facts, the victim’s family and the public deserve to know the truth, Moviment Graffitti said. 

Failure to do so will only lead to more deaths, the group insisted.

A debate on prison reform will take place tomorrow at 6pm online. More details can be found here.

Sistema ta’ ħabs falluta twassal għal mewt oħra bla sens

L-awtoritajiet għal darb’oħra bid-demm fuq idejhom

In-negliġenza tal-awtoritajiet tal-ħabs wasslet għal mewta oħra li setgħet ġiet evitata, qal il-Moviment Graffitti. Il-grupp kien qed jirreaġixxi għal rapporti li mietet mara, minkejja li l-awtoritajiet tal-ħabs kienu jafu bir-riskju li setgħet tikkommetti suwiċidju, skont dawk li huma midħla tal-Faċilità Korrettiva ta’ Kordina (FKK). Minħabba t-track record terribbli li għandu l-ħabs fir-rigward tal-ħarsien ta’ ħajjet il-priġunier, l-istqarrijiet minn din l-istituzzjoni dwar dak li ġara f’dan il-każ xejn ma huma kredibbli.

Skont Peppi Azzopardi, li se jkun qed jitkellem waqt attività online li se ssir għada dwar ir-riforma tal-ħabs, persuni li jispiċċaw il-ħabs minħabba l-użu tad-drogi huma sfurzati li jieqfu jieħdu d-drogi mingħajr ma jingħataw xi forma ta’ għajnuna. Dawn jiġu maqfula f’ċelel mingħajr ebda sfog, għal 23 siegħa sħaħ.  Dan ifisser li s-sistema tal-ħabs qiegħda tittortura lil dawk li l-iktar għandhom bżonn l-għajnuna. 

Id-diżastru li hemm il-ħabs bħalissa ma jistax jibqa’ jiġi injorat, żied il-grupp. Huwa ċar li d-direttur tal-ħabs il-Kurunell Alexander Dalli ma jimpurtahx mill-benesseri ta’ dawk li jaqgħu taħt il-ħarsien tiegħu. Agħar minn hekk, dan qiegħed jiżra kultura ta’ negliġenza, fejn dawk li huma fir-riskju li jneħħu ħajjithom b’idejhom qegħdin jiġu injorati. 

Il-Moviment Graffitti insista li l-ħabs għandu jkun post ta’ rijabilitazzjoni, mhux tat-tortura. Madankollu, jidher ċar li Dalli m’għandux interess li jissalvagwardja l-benesseri tal-ħabsin. Dan wassal għal imwiet bla bżonn u prattiki li jabbużaw lill-ħabsin psikoloġikament.

Malta għandha l-ogħla rata ta’ suwiċidju fl-Ewropa u diversi mwiet fil-FKK qatt ma ġew spjegati, innota l-grupp.  Dan ifisser li l-kriżi fis-sistema tal-ħabs mhix qed tiġi trattata b’urġenza mill-awtoritajiet responsabbli. 

Fil-fatt, din il-mewta bla sens tidher li se tiġi trattata bħal kull suwiċidju li jseħħ ġewaa l-FKK. Issir inkjesta li ma tiġix ippubblikata,  u l-poplu Malti jibqa’ ma jafx il-fatti li wasslu għall-mewt ta’ persuna fis-sistema tal-ħabs tagħna. Filwaqt li taf tkun konvenjenti għal Dalli u għall-Ministeru tal-Intern li jinħbew il-fatti, il-familja tal-vittma u l-pubbliku ħaqqhom ikunu jafu l-verità.

Jekk dan ma jsirx, se jkun hemm iktar imwiet, insista l-grupp. 

Dibattitu dwar ir-riforma tal-ħabs se jsir għada fis-6pm online. Iktar dettalji jinsabu hawn.