LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – According to the annual report published by the Council of Europe, Malta is amongst other European countries with the highest rates of female prisoners in the continent, with just under one in ten prisoners being a woman. That is almost twice as many as the European average of five, but behind other small European countries like Andorra, Iceland and Cyprus. The report finds that just over a million people are currently held in Europès prisons. Maltàs incarceration rate is in line with most other European countries, with 107 inmates for every 100,000 residents, for a total of some 581 prisoners. Maltese inmates have an average age of 38. Half of Maltàs inmates are foreign nationals, according to the report, almost twice as much as the European average of 27%. The vast majority of foreign inmates, just over 80%, are non-EU nationals.
The report sheds light on the issue of court delays in Malta. Over a third of all inmates in Malta, 39%, are still awaiting a final sentence and are incarcerated on remand. Inmates serve an average of almost 11 months in Malta, again in line with the European average. Just like most other European countries, drug charges are the single most common reason why people in Malta may find themselves behind bars, according to the study. A quarter of all inmates in Malta have been incarcerated because of drug-related offences, with a further 16% for homicide or attempted homicide. Theft is far less common, with just 5% of all prisoners responding to theft charges. The report also finds that Maltàs prisons are generally well-staffed, with a staff member for every 1.2 inmates.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo: Agenzia Fotogramma –
