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Academic Andrew Azzopardi lamented that children visiting their families in prison were not doing so in the right setting.
In an email to the Children’s Commissioner, Azzopardi described what he saw during his visit to Curdin Correctional Facility (CCF) in August.
“I saw three children, aged between 2 and 7,” he said, noting that this was not an isolated case. Azzopardi claimed that he even saw toddlers and babies in the main prison building.
Azzopardi said the presence of children in the main prison building was harmful to their mental health. He added In 2022, the government announced that it would create new family rooms. At the time, authorities announced that the room would be completely separated from the CCF to provide a more ideal space for the children and their parents.
The lecturer made 15 recommendations to address the problem, including using family rooms when minors are present and ensuring they never visit relatives in the main prison building.
Azzopardi said that should not be an excuse to reduce family visits and he called on prisoners to be accompanied by plainclothes police officers and social workers during visits.
Among other recommendations, Azzopardi called for non-invasive tests on children.
He also called on the Children’s Commissioner to keep in touch with the CCF and ask her to nominate her representatives on every committee within the prison.
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