“Change is very hard, but I believe we are on the right track,” said Christopher Siegersma, the recently-appointed and first ever Commissioner for the Welfare and Development of Prisoners. The conditions in the Corradino Correctional Facility have sparked national interest, especially with the recent resignation of director Alex Dalli following a series of inmate deaths under his regime. A four-month inquiry also presented a report, which includes reforms calling for special attention to inmates’ mental health and suicidal thoughts. Siegersma spoke to The Malta Independent on Sunday to share how the prison has been progressing since the beginning of his involvement.

This newsroom asked the Commissioner to explain what sort of issues were found directly on the ground regarding the prisoners upon starting his work, to which he said that he was honestly impressed by the services offered at the facility.

“All the information I knew about the prison was from the media and to be honest I was impressed by the services offered which are geared towards rehabilitation. Of course, it is not perfect, as every organisation needs changes with time, and that is my role, to strengthen what is already there,” Siegersma said.

Siegersma noted that there are several therapeutic services, along with a strong team of professionals, which includes psychologists, psychology assistants and care-plan coordinators, who take care of devising care-plans upon admission of the inmate. He praised the specialised programmes both inhouse and outside of the facility which help with drug rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes, such as Sedqa and Caritas.

“Unfortunately, when one has spent a certain amount of time in prison, they lose certain social skills, as life in prison, can in no way replicate the world outside, and so these programmes are of great help,” he said.

Siegersma was asked about his rapport with the staff, considering that they might be used to working with others or under a different set of directives. He replied that fortunately he has a very good relationship with new prison director Robert Brincau.

“Brincau has the same frame of mind as I do and rarely do I go to him with a suggestion which he shuts down; he’s on board most of time, supporting me 100%,” he said. “Some modifications sometimes need to be made with regards to security issues as Brincau has the bigger picture in mind, but other than that we get along well,” Siegersma added.

With regards to the other staff, Siegersma said that all organisations have the good and the less good, but overall, the staff is dedicated and willing for change to occur. “Change is very hard, but I believe we are on the right track,” he said.

The inquiry board presented a reform which advises that prisoners should be released from prison during daylight hours, rather than at night, for mental health reasons. Siegersma said that this is being followed through, and that he personally agrees with it. “After being in prison for a long time, it can be a frightening experience to return to society, as living in an institution would be their new norm,” Siegersma said. He added that being released during the day reduces certain anxieties and fears for the inmate.

The inquiry report also insisted that solitary confinement should be executed only with a court order. Asked about his position on solitary confinement, especially with regards to the welfare of prisoners, Siegersma said that some inmates, in addition to and aside from their sentences, have periods of solitary confinement, which is court ordered.

Solitary confinement is also given to an inmate who is being aggressive or mentally instable for certain periods of time, to ensure their own safety and that of others. However, this is done after consultations with a psychiatrist or the prison doctor in mental health cases, he said. In cases of aggression towards other inmates or staff, this is done on the spot, however, only until the prisoner is calm and the threat level is reduced.

Siegersma said that he is made aware of all these cases, so that he can investigate them and ensure that the procedure was done appropriately.

The Commissioner was asked about what is being done to address the overwhelming majority of people going to prison due to substance abuse. On the situation regarding drug rehabilitation, Siegersma said that specialised programmes are found in-house as well as outside the prison. He noted that there are prisoners who are not psychologically prepared to start the programmes outside the prison, as they would need the will to stop substance abuse. In these cases, the therapy and aid being given from the care and reintegration unit, can help start the process for inhouse rehabilitation programmes, which upon completion, the inmates can be sent to external programmes.

The overcrowding of the prison has been brought to the forefront in the concerns of the inquiry, where it suggested that a rehabilitation centre be built within the confines of the prison. Siegersma said that this is an ongoing project, and it is being built, where the plans are for it to be an initial reception centre, which is integral for those entering prison for the first time.

“The place will be more monitored and have better access of services and necessary assessments,” Siegersma said. Person-centred care plans can also be made where the inmate will be involved in the decisions and could decide to learn a certain skill. In this case arrangements can be done with MCAST or other educational institution to offer this education, he said.

“The rehabilitative unit, which will consist of 140 cells, will also give inmates more independence, and even their own kitchen,” he said. Ideally there would be a larger space available, however, the infrastructure is being improved on a daily basis, Siegersma said.

Regarding the mixing of prisoners, those who are sentenced as opposed to those who are merely arrested, the inquiry condemned the frequent times that inmates who had just been admitted for the first time under arrest, find themselves spending the first days in prison in a division where seasoned criminals serving long sentences reside. Siegersma remarked that in an ideal world there would be this separation, however, due to the current infrastructure, there are limits to the issue.

“There are also court cases which dictate that certain prisoners must be separated from others, which I think should remain the priority to keep the psychological wellbeing of prisoners intact,” he commented.

There is a mentality and stigmatisation of the prison which brands the facility as a place for punishment, rather than that of rehabilitation. Siegersma was asked whether he intends to change that mentality, promoting a prison for rehabilitation.

“It’s in the name, it is a correctional facility, and rehabilitation should be at the fulcrum of every decision made. There is of course room for improvement and that is my role here as a commissioner. I can make recommendations to facilitate more rehabilitation programmes; I can influence legislations. A lot is already being done, but we are moving towards a proper rehabilitative prison,” Siegersma said.

Among the 13 deaths which have occurred in the prison, under former prison director Dalli, there was a string of suicides. Siegersma was asked to comment on the psychological welfare of the prisoners, especially since it became known that there are many contemplations of suicide.

“We must keep in mind that this is a concentration of people who have unfortunately passed through many traumas, which research shows that this will increase the incidence of suicide in prisons. It is difficult to mitigate completely as in any society, but our professionals conduct many risk assessments when it comes to suicide and depression,” Siegersma said. He added that mental health services are always increasing to try and keep the number of suicides to a minimum.

Will there be more transparency with the public and the media about the welfare of these prisoners? “In fact, here I am talking to you,” he noted. Siegersma remarked that a lot of damage was done by the media with regards to stigma towards prisoners.

“I do not think the media has always shown constructive criticism; there was also a lot of speculation,” he said. Siegersma noted that there is a lot to be proud of regarding the work that is being done and he believes that the media should be informed of the good things that are happening at the prison. He said that his office is within the confines of the prison by choice, to have a first-hand experience and monitor situations up close.

Siegersma added that there is a lot of work being done on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which is being done in conjunction with the office of the commissioner and the Correctional Services Agency (CSA) to ensure harmony and find a middle ground on issues of security and needs for therapy and regulations.