VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s prison population has surged from below capacity to severe overcrowding within a year, placing Corradino Correctional Facility among Europe’s most overcrowded prisons, according to a Council of Europe report.
The annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations survey found Corradino now houses 118 inmates for every 100 available places, up sharply from 83 inmates per 100 places in 2024.
Malta is one of nine European prison systems classified as severely overcrowded, alongside countries such as Türkiye and France, which recorded the highest occupancy rates at 131 inmates per 100 places.
The report also revealed that nearly one-third of inmates in Malta are awaiting sentencing, highlighting pressure on the country’s justice system.
Over the past two decades, Malta’s prison population has grown by 62%, from 2005 to 2025.
Foreign nationals account for 51% of Malta’s prison population, the eighth-highest proportion in Europe and well above the continental average of 17%.
Malta also recorded the third-highest proportion of women inmates in Europe, with women making up 8% of detainees, behind only Hungary and Czechia.
Across Europe, the proportion of female prisoners rose from 4.8% to 5.2% between 2024 and 2025, reflecting broader shifts in sentencing trends and detention patterns.
The Council of Europe said the findings point to growing challenges for prison systems, including overcrowding and rising numbers of older and female detainees.
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(ITALPRESS).
