Description
The main aim of the pre-defined project is the extension of the Centre of Residential Restorative Services (CoRRs) housing Malta’s young offenders away from the main prison, and the subsequent restructuring of the internal running of the Unit. In this respect, the objectives are two-fold: the physical objective that will involve the construction phase and the therapeutic objective that will involve the restructuring of the CoRRs programme in order to enhance service delivery in line with current international juvenile crime policy. This project will also enable the facility to house young female offenders in one of its wings. This action will also serve as a model/pilot project for Malta with the introduction of new concepts in the Maltese correctional services and the possibility of wider application in the future. The project will contribute to the programme outcome: Increased focus on vulnerable groups in prison. The main activities include: - the extension of the existing premises – increasing the number of prison places from 10 to 52; - the training of correctional staff – providing specialised training on the needs of young people in detention as well as on the operational and therapeutic system to at least 20 officers employed within the CoRRs unit; - the establishment of a new therapeutic system – initiating therapeutic systems like one-to-one sessions, group therapy or family therapy for the most vulnerable groups (both male and female) in the prison; - the establishment of a new operation system – implementing an Incentive and Earned Privilege System (IEPS) that will be merged with other operational requirements in the new premises; - publicity.
Summary of project results
Both the physical and therapeutic aspects of this project contributed to better living standards for the inmates of the facility, while ensuring that, during their confinement, quality rehabilitation systems are in place to render them capable of facing societal challenges, including employability, once they serve their judicial sentences. The predominant component of this project was the construction of the new Correctional Facility, covering quite an extensive piece of land, which at the time, brought with it various challenges. The first biggest challenge upon commencement of activities was the procurement procedure involved in the works tender and the time lost while awaiting the judgement by the Courts of Justice in reply to an appeal made by one of the unsuccessful bidders. This can be further substantiated by the collection of works it entailed including excavation, provision of underground services, structural works, mechanical & electrical works, and finishes. One has to keep in mind the timeframe that was available for the completion of these works, which all had to be finalised within a span of 10 months. All works were given prominence due to the fact that the new facility had to be developed whilst making sure that security issues related to the old facility, which the new one would be extending, are not comprised in any way or at any time during work-in-progress. In view of the limited time in which the contractor had to operate, the PP’s effective coordination and communication resulted to be paramount. The objectives of the whole project were two-fold: the Physical, involving the construction phase; and the Therapeutic, involving the restructuring of the CoRRS Programme in order to enhance service delivery in line with current international juvenile crime policy. The outputs of the project were all completed by the end of the Programming Period contributing to the array of planned outputs mainly the construction of the new CoRRS premises and the establishment of a new operational system.
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership with the Norwegian Correctional Services (KDI/NCS) was not only to strengthen the bilateral dimension of the project, but also a means of sharing expertise in rehabilitation programmes for inmates and training staff. The role of the KDI/NCS in the project was to enhance the training component of the project due to its high level of expertise in the area and the need for specialised training. The training was divided into two phases: phase one (1) consisted of a 22-hour theoretical training programme for both correctional officers and managerial staff on topics such as communication skills, psychological developmental stages and prison education while phase two was a two week practical/theoretical training programme on topics such as organisational/operational management system and staff training. The project promoter together with the KDI/NCS strengthened their bilateral relations by working on an bilateral initiative. A Maltese delegation of four persons together with the Directorate of the Norwegian Correctional Services visited a number of correctional facilities in Norway to enhance their expertise in the specific area, in preparation for the launch of the newly built and refurbished facilities, financed from the Norway Grants. The Maltese Delegation also had the opportunity to discuss the new training programmes and systems planned for the new CORRS facility.