As part of the reform of the juvenile correctional system, Corradino Correctional Facility has partnered with Norwegian Correctional Services to provide a formalised training programme in dealing with juvenile offenders under 21 years of age.
35 correctional officers and professionals working with the Correctional Services were presented with certificates by Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela and CCF Director Paul De Battista following successful completion of this training programme provided by Norwegian and local experts at the Academy for Disciplined Forces at ta’ Kandja.
Minister Carmelo Abela noted that this training programme in current best practices in the adolescent correctional field in line with international practices is valued at €11,000 co-financed by Norwegian Funds. He explained that Norway is known to be at the forefront of correctional practice.
The Minister confirmed that this is the first time in the history of correctional officers that such an investment was made in their skills. “Unfortunately, the Correctional Officers within CCF have gone through a long period of time where the development of their skills was completely unaccounted for or even ignored” said Abela.
He emphasised that the Government has at heart the regeneration of the juvenile correctional system in Malta because these youth are the present and the future of our society. To this effect, an ambitious project has been embarked on seeing the building of a new modern facility for young offenders at Imtaħleb thanks to Norwegian Funds . Such infrastructual project is being accompanied by the development of new therapeutic programmes for these young offenders and by training to correctional officers.
He added that the Ministry for Home Affairs is not only changing such a pattern with the set-up of the Academy for Disciplined Forces but started to introduce the concept of continuous professional development where training goes beyond recruitment.
“You have the power to motivate these youth, to open up their horizons, to make them realise that they are surrounded by people who believe that they can be re-integrated in society, if they are willing to work for it”, appealed Minister Abela to the Young Offenders Unit Rehabilitation Services members of staff.
Currently there are 12 young offenders residing at the Young Offenders Unit at Mtaħleb under 21 years of age.