Prison director Abraham Zammit has shot down claims by a former inmate that the Corradino Correctional Facility is teeming with drugs, but admits it is not drug-free.

“It is far removed from reality when somebody says the facility is full of drugs but we are not infallible,” Mr Zammit says in an interview with The Times.

He explains the prison authorities adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to drugs but admits that drugs are sometimes smuggled in.

“We perform random urine tests on prisoners, in line with international standards, and disciplinary action is always taken when somebody tests positive,” he says.

The task is made difficult, Mr Zammit adds, because the majority of the 580 individuals are doing time for drug-related crimes including theft.

Former prison inmate Charles Muscat, known as Il-Pips, told The Sunday Times that during his time at Corradino the place was full of drugs and the environment was not conducive to rehabilitation for those who wanted to kick the habit.

Mr Muscat, who was a cocaine user, said he started using heroin while serving time in a division where all inmates took heroin. He accused the prison authorities of being aware of this but of not caring about it.

Full interview at

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110817/local/The-straight-and-narrow-path.380568