Malta prisoners undergo various assessments when first inducted into Malta’s prison but are not left for days in the nude, authorities have said.

Speaking to Lovin Malta, the Correctional Services Agency “categorically denies” allegations that prisoners were being taken to a division and told to strip naked and left like that for days at a time. The allegations had appeared on local blogs in recent weeks.

The Correctional Services Agency explained what happens when a prisoner first enters the Corradino Correctional Facility.

“Upon entering Corradino Correctional Facility, prisoners undergo a medical assessment to determine their state of health and whether they suffer from any particular medical condition,” a spokesperson said

“A security assessment is also carried out to ensure that they are not carrying any weapons or illicit substances,” they continued. “They are then provided with a uniform and given their personal belongings.”

Over the last year, prisoners entering Kordin also had to isolate for a period to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

“All individuals entering CCF are swabbed and are accommodated in an isolation unit for the necessary period as stipulated by health protocols,” they said.

However, they were not left naked during this time.

Malta’s prison has been under the spotlight for years now, for everything from concerning deaths to questions over a culture of “fear” emanating from the prison. 

A new prison director, former army man Colonel Alex Dalli, has been in charge of the prison for over two years now and has implemented widespread changes throughout the prison, famously saying he has practically stamped out all illicit drug use and violence within prison’s walls.

His methods have been criticised and praised accordingly, with some calling him a needed disciplinary force, while others have described him as a dictator.