Prison’s tuck shop claims are ‘an insult’

Prisoner advocacy groups have heaped scorn on Government claims that the prison tuck shop is stocked “from local outlets” and said overpricing problems date back almost 20 years. The Times reported on Tuesday that inmates were being ripped off by their tuck shop, with items being sold at significantly higher prices than in supermarkets. A Home Affairs ministry spokesman explained the price discrepancies by saying items were bought from local shops at cost price and likened the tuck shop to “a grocery shop in a small village”. But those claims have been directly challenged by individuals with an intimate knowledge of Malta’s prison system. George Busuttil, head of advocacy NGO Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl, called the Government reply “blatantly nonsense” and “a gross insult to the intelligence of The Times’ readers”. “I’m sure every small grocery would be delighted to have over 600 clients who have no choice but to shop there. It would surely be a lucrative business,” Mr Busuttil said. Former prison board chairman Mario Felice spoke along similar lines. “Ask any grocer whether they have the luxury of a 600-person monopoly. And unlike grocers, the tuck shop doesn’t have to deal with overheads...