A press breakfast was held recently discussing victims of addiction and ex-prisoners. This was part of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Held at the EC Representation Office in Valletta, the breakfast was introduced and chaired by Yvonne Mallia, operations director at Aġenzija Appoġġ.

“Incarceration of pure drug users has failed miserably and rethinking and implementation of a new Maltese drug policy is urgently needed,” said EY Ambassador George Grech.

In his presentation entitled ‘Is the drug addict poor?’, Ernest Cherrett, head of Males Shelter for Persons with Drug Problems, outlinedthe community services and support offered by the New Hope Foundation at Caritas.

He said Caritas welcomedpeople with serious drug-related problems and provides them with rehabilitation services.

Speaking about ex-prisoners, George Busuttil, EY Ambassador and director at Mid-Dlam għad-Dawl Foundation, emphasised the importance of a prison system which would reform an offender during imprisonment and beyond to enable re-integration into society.

Mid-Dlam għad-Dawl Foundation is a group of volunteers who visit prisoners regularly and help them with their needs.

Recently, Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl opened a shelter in Cospicua that can host three released prisoners who need a place to stay.

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