Inmates are among a number of people who will be arraigned on the strength of an inquiry that found gross "maladministration and mismanagement" in the running of the prison.
This was confirmed by Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici but he would not elaborate. When asked whether the people to be charged would include prison staff he would only say that "most are inmates".
The Times reported earlier this month that prison staff would be among those to be prosecuted.
The inquiry findings have not been made public but sources said that, while the inquiry report did not mention names, it highlighted serious irregularities in the way prison leave was granted to certain inmates and cited a series of financial transactions, particularly those made through the tuck shop, a main hub of commerce in the prison.
The inquiry was launched after reports The Sunday Times revealed that Dutch inmate Perry Toornstra, who was at the centre of allegations of abuse by prison guards after an escape attempt in August, claimed he used prisoner Leli Camilleri, known as Il-Bully, as an intermediary to help him obtain prison leave. Prison director Sandro Gatt had admitted as much and resigned but denied any wrongdoing.
During a press conference covering the ministry's work over the past year yesterday, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the inquiry report was at the Attorney General and the Police Commissioner.
He insisted it would not be made public before "justice runs its course as he did not want to interfere or prejudice the course of justice".
The board of inquiry - made up of former prison director Emmanuel Cassar, former UK Defence Ministry official Martin Scicluna and psychologist Marianne Agius - investigated in detail transactions made between detainees, payments from a private company for work done by inmates and the presence of mobile phones in prison.
It also made a series of administrative recommendations that have been made public. On this point, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that the restructuring process of the prison had started last year, adding that his ministry was committed to carry out the reform based on the recommendations made by the inquiry board.
"We need a reform in prison that is not only aimed at the way inmates are helped to reform themselves, through the introduction of parole, for example, but also an administrative reform," he said.