Paintings and curtains made by 20 prison inmates will be on sale during Notte Bianca on October 4.

The works will be exhibited at the Social Policy Ministry in Valletta and some of the proceeds will go towards a special fund, from which participating inmates may benefit once they complete their prison term.

The rest of the money will go to a victims fund and to support the Rise Foundation, which works to rehabilitate inmates coming out of prison.

Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia lauded the initiative and said prison should primarily focus on rehabilitation and promoting initiatives to keep inmates onthe go.

He warned that the government would show no mercy against those smuggling drugs in prison and announced that sniffer dogs had arrived.

However, these would not be stationed at prison, so as not to become the “inmates’ pets” as had been the case under the previous government.