Temporary residence for prisoners set to be freed

Paul*, barely 30, has already been in prison three times and, unfortunately, his is far from being an isolated case. A worrying 56 per cent of inmates are repeat offenders, having broken the law and sentenced to prison on more than one occasion. It is this state of affairs that prompted Corradino Correctional Facilities chaplain, Fr Franco Fenech, and Fondazzjoni Dar Suret il-Bniedem coordinator Charles Mifsud to do something about and set up RISe (Rehabilitation in Society) Foundation. Officially launched today, it aims to help prisoners develop a useful, self-sufficient way of life that will keep them away from further offences and from ending up behind bars again. “Society looks at prison from different points of view,” Fr Franco, 47, said. “Some view it in a punitive light while others think of it as a place of reform. However, everyone expects prisoners to emerge from incarceration as better people. “Unfortunately, I keep seeing the same faces behind bars. People who would have walked out of prison determined not to return to their old ways are back two months after being released. “The need was felt for a rehabilitation programme that is run while a person is serving time,...