The Home Affairs Ministry will be studying closed magisterial inquires on prison deaths to see what can be done to prevent other deaths, such as by suicide, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told The Malta Independent.

Last week, a 45-year-old inmate was found dead in his prison cell at Corradino Correctional Facility. The inmate was waiting to be extradited to the United States to face sexual abuse charges. It was announced that the cause of death was suicide. This is the tenth death in Corradino in the space of two years.

Camilleri commented that he is worried every time there is a death which takes place in prison and highlighted that one must note the difference between a natural death and deaths which could have been prevented. . “There are deaths which are natural, which happen in every community, and those which could have been prevented, such as suicide.”

He said that he has asked the permanent secretary within his ministry to request copies of all the magisterial inquiries regarding prison deaths which have happened in the past few years, so as to examine these cases and to make decisions to improve the situation.

 “We will be studying to see if there could have been a way of which we could have prevented these deaths.”

The Nationalist Party also commented on this and called for answers as to what is happening in prison. Home Affairs shadow minister Beppe Fenech Adami has described the prison as a place of fear and death.

“From what I understand the Opposition is saying that there needs to be more discipline. Prison is not a hotel or a place where there are drugs,” Camilleri said. “In previous years prison was known as a place where drugs were easily accessible. Now there is discipline, and we have introduced a number of diverse professionals who are there to help prisoners during their rehabilitation process.”