Commissioner for Inmates' Welfare and Development

Summary

The Office of the Commissioner for Inmates' Welfare and Development was established by Legal Notice 476 of 2021 as subsidiary legislation under the Prisons Act (Cap. 260), created following the 2021 Grech Board of Inquiry into deaths and abuse at the Corradino Correctional Facility. The Commissioner is appointed by the President of Malta on Cabinet recommendation for a five-year term, after consulting a supervisory board. The Commissioner has unrestricted access to all parts of prison facilities and to all prisoner records, and may interview any prisoner in private. Functions include promoting and safeguarding prisoners' rights; reviewing policies and making recommendations to competent authorities; reviewing all incident and death records; and investigating complaints about care and treatment by the Correctional Services Agency or healthcare professionals serving in the prisons. The Commissioner may make recommendations but has no binding discipline authority and cannot compel testimony or documents. The office reports to both a supervisory board and the Home Affairs Ministry.