President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca yesterday called for the setting up of a Family Intervention Unit at the prisons to serve as a bridge between prisoners and their families.

The President was speaking about the difficulties offenders encountered when they re-entered society, at a public lecture on engaging offenders with their families organised by Fondazzjoni mid-Dlam għad-Dawl.

Such difficulties were made worse in Malta, being a relatively small community where offenders were well known and therefore marginalised at the outset, she said.

As a result, many found it difficult to get a job, education and decent housing, all of which led to poverty. Offenders subsequently found themselves returning to crime with 75 per cent of prisoners being repeat offenders.

“In the meantime, children and families of offenderscontinue to suffer unnecessarily, not only from the stigma associated with the imprisonment of a family member, but even more through the consequences this has on the whole family,” the President said.

She added that a Family Intervention Unit would need to be manned by professionals from the social and psychology fields, familyrelations officers and family therapists.