Temperature-Control System Being Installed At Corradino Prison, Minister Confirms

A new temperature-control ventilation system is being installed at the Corradino Correctional Facility, aimed at reducing the effects of extreme heat during summer and cold temperatures during winter.

The update was provided by Home Affairs and Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield in response to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Graziella Attard Previ.

Attard Previ asked whether the Government had plans to install air conditioning in every prison cell and communal area, and if so, when the project would be implemented.

In his reply, Bedingfield confirmed that work is already underway on a ventilation system designed to regulate temperatures throughout the facility.

According to the Minister, installation has already been completed in certain prison divisions, with the system becoming operational in September.

Meanwhile, work is still ongoing in other areas and is expected to be completed within the coming weeks.

The issue of excessive heat inside Malta's prison has been a subject of controversy for several years. In July 2024, University of Malta academic Andrew Azzopardi raised concerns about what he described as unbearable temperatures inside prison cells, with reports of temperatures exceeding 30°C.

At the time, prison authorities confirmed that fans had been provided to inmates and that improvements to ventilation were being introduced.

The issue resurfaced in July 2026, when Azzopardi requested an investigation by the Ombudsman into the impact of excessive heat on prisoners' physical and mental wellbeing.

Concerns about the prison's ageing infrastructure have also been raised by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture, which highlighted poor ventilation and inadequate conditions in several sections of the facility.

While the latest parliamentary reply confirms progress on temperature-control installations, it does not explicitly confirm that conventional air-conditioning units will be installed in every individual cell.

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Source: House of Representatives - Parliamentary Questions