Performance Audit: A Strategic Overview on the Correctional Services Agency’s operations at the Corradino Correctional Facility

Auditor General Mr Charles Deguara today presented the performance audit report in caption to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Anglu Farrugia. This audit reviewed the operations of Correctional Services Agency (CSA) from a strategic perspective, at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

Of primary concern, NAO noted that local legislation does not specifically impose sufficient obligations on CSA with regards to an effective system of rehabilitation. Specifically, this Office observed that the requirements calling for rehabilitative efforts in standing legislation are few and somewhat malleable when compared to others, particularly those relating to discipline and security. This, NAO feels, leaves care and reintegration initiatives in a situation in which they have to compete with, rather than complement, stronger legal obligations such as those relating to discipline and good order.

In relation to this, NAO found that, while significant efforts have been made in recent years to design care plans for CCF’s inmates, care and re-integration initiatives are still not reaching the entire prison population. This is evident through the low number of work placements (both inside and outside the Facility) and educational opportunities being provided to inmates. While acknowledging that these factors are also affected by issues extraneous to the Agency, NAO still feels that these opportunities are too limited to be considered an adequate prison-wide effort towards rehabilitation through work and education.

Throughout this review NAO also observed a general sense of order, organisation and cleanliness throughout CCF and acknowledged notable recent infrastructural improvements. While mostly noting the Facility’s generally unobjectionable state of repair, this Office did however identify some shortcomings in this respect which may be unduly compounding (though not to a critical extent) the already intrinsically difficult nature of incarceration.

In addition, while this Office acknowledges that the Agency neither has control over the number of inmates who have to be detained at the Facility, nor on set segregation requirements (both those emanating from local legislation or as imposed by the Courts), it noted that CCF’s physical capacity is significantly strained. This brings about obvious negative consequences, particularly on security, hygiene and privacy.

This review showed how, based on figures provided by CSA, drug abuse within CCF has declined considerably. These figures depict what can be considered as a controlled situation within an environment which is conventionally prone to challenges in this area.

Through this study, NAO also observed that the complement of Correctional Officers and Care & Reintegration Professionals has increased in recent years. Despite this, however, the number of staff in both segments still falls short of the targeted complement, even if what constitutes the latter is not supported by any comprehensively documented study.

While NAO is concerned with the lack of a centralised electronic information system within CCF up till writing of this report, it acknowledges the agreement signed with a third-party provider which will provide CSA with an Offenders Management System. This Office also acknowledges that CSA has initiated the process for its policies and procedures to be developed and drafted.

These issues, along with others, are comprehensively presented in the audit report together with this Office’s recommendations.