An inquiry has been opened into the “sudden death” of a prisoner early this morning, a police spokesperson has told Lovin Malta.

A 49-year-old Maltese man from Birkirkara was rushed to Mater Dei hospital at around 2:50 am this morning. He was then confirmed to be dead at 3.11 am.

While there is no reason to consider foul play in the death, and it is being reported as a “natural death”, the inquiry overseen by Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace has been set up.

This is the sixth person to die in prison in the last year and a half, making this the third death in 2019 alone.

However, though there seem to be regular deaths within the inmate population, very little detail is ever given, with some deaths in the past believed to have been the result of inmates taking their own life. It is unknown whether Malta’s prison is considering any changes to its processes in regards to prison deaths, and any possibility of preventing them.

What do you think of this latest death in prison?