Edward Attard, a household name in matters concerning police and crime, has published a revised edition of Il-Habs, L-istorja tal-Habsijiet f'Malta mill-1800. Attard had published this interesting book in 2000 to mark the 150 anniversary since the opening of the first phase of Corradino Prison.

In the introduction Chief Justice Emeritus Prof. Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici said that the book is indispensable for any criminologist because it has factual material and extensive detail.

In this revised edition with a new cover, Attard included the references to his work to support the statements. Comments made about the book in 2000 by the President of the Republic, Professor Guido de Marco, the Prime Minister, Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami, Interior Minister, Dr. Tonio Borg and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Alfred Sant are also included. The book is divided into twelve chapters and in chapter 9, Alternatives to prisons and amnesties, there is reference to the parole system introduced in Malta in 1919. It is to be mentioned that in presenting a Private members Bill in parliament about the introduction of parole, members of parliament Dr. Jason Azzopardi and Dr Josè Herrera made reference to this event.

In this new edition Attard has included the list of those who had been condemned to life imprisonment and who died in prison. Reference is also made to those prisoners who committed suicide, the youngest a 15-year-old sentenced to fifty days detention, who hanged himself in 1875.

Attard also chronicles the murders which took place in the Valletta Great Prison and Corradino Prison. In Valletta a prisoner was killed by a cell mate in 1839. The victim was imprisoned in 1837 for having stolen a ciborium from the church of St. Therese's Convent in Cospicua. The murderer, who said that during the night he heard a voice which told him he should kill his cell mate, grabbed a plank from the bed and started hitting him until he died.

At Corradino prison there were no such crimes, however, in September 1924, Antonio Spiteri, a prisoner who was serving 15 years for trying to kill his wife, killed the chief warder, Salvatore Grech and store keeper Albert Pearson. Spiteri escaped from prison and later was found hidden in an empty well close to the Maria Addolorata cemetery.

In the chapter about women prisoners Attard narrates the case of the Marija Schembri, known as Ix-Xuxana. In 1878 Schembri was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. At that time female prisoners were kept in the Ospizio prison in Floriana, but later she turned out to have male characteristics and was transferred to Corradino with inmates.

Chapter five is dedicated to executions since 1800 and the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary, the Rużarjanti, who provided spiritual comfort to those condemned to death. After 1860 executions were held in front of Corradino Prisons and later moved inside the prison.