In the wake of an international alert about an “antibiotic apocalypse”, it was announced that the Maltese health authorities were working on a national strategy targeting the misuse of such medicinal.

According to the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 400,000 people died since the emergence of large-scale antibiotic resistance in the last decade and the figure is set to more than double over the next 10 years.

A Eurobarometer study in 2013 had found that Maltese doctors were wrongly prescribing antibiotics for flu and sore throats “just in case”. The use of antibiotics was most widespread in Malta, with 48 per cent of those polled saying they had taken them in the previous 12 months.

The authorities seem to be doing something about it by drawing up a three-pronged strategy, as well as inform, educate, communicate and, where necessary, legislate.

But what do antibiotics have to do with prison? Nothing. Only that, as in the case of antibiotic overuse, unless we do something about how prison is serving, or rather failing society, offenders risk becoming immune to jail sentences.

To highlight the state of affairs, it would suffice to recount an incident that occurred just a few days ago in a courtroom in Valletta.

A teenage drug addict caught red-handed trying to break into a shop in Ħamrun was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment. The 19-year-old’s reaction was chilling. “That’ll be six months,” he said, basing his calculations on the remission system whereby a third of one’s prison term is all but automatically waived. “Oh, well,” he shrugged.

It appears that, though still young, this individual has already accumulated a long string of convictions. The magistrate noted this and warned him that if he continued on that path he would be spending more time behind bars. Which, evidently, does not really bother the budding criminal.

All those familiar with criminal justice and prison who are willing to put hand on heart will admit that a thorough overhaul of the system is required, and urgently too.

A number of attempts at prison reform were made along the years. Yet, the incident quoted above indicates that what is really required are not changes in the way the prison is run or how adequate the physical infrastructure is – however essential such things are. The reforms must be more far-reaching.

Prison needs to be the ultimate method of punishment and the very last resort. Which is not to say offenders should not be punished. They must continue to feel they are paying for their crimes, also because the element of deterrent is a necessity. Spare the rod and spoil the child. The hard part is how and what sort of rod to use.

The bottom line should be not to make crime pay or appear to pay. It would be a clear sign that the criminal justice system would have collapsed if the attitude shown by the above-mentioned young offender becomes widespread.

A police officer admitted on TV that some bad apples openly declared they would not mind punching a policeman if they knew they would “only” get a probation order or be fined €50.

Legislators, the judiciary and the forces of law and order should come together to hammer out a way forward to avoid the antibiotics syndrome infecting prison.

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