M.D.D

	Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's Achievements
	OUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT Our greatest achievement has been, from the start, our regularity and constancy in being always close to the prisoner. To have walked with him in silence along his wretched road. To have demanded nothing of him. To have been of service to his needs. To have been derided with him. To have been, with him, looked upon with disdain. To have never lost heart in the face of hostility, disagreement and conflict. To have been always faithful to him. Indeed, to have loved him dearly. This is our greatest satisfaction and, truly, our honour.
	December 1995 - Entering the Prisons It was a most difficult undertaking that of obtaining the civil authorities' permission to visit the prisons on a regular basis. It took, in fact, quite dexterous decisions on our part. But in the end the permission was successfully obtained, and never repealed. In the beginning, for some reason or other, the authorities were hesitant, but than they gave in. Through its regular and constant visits to the prisoners within the facility, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl has always succeeded in being valuable in its efforts to serve as an effective pressure group in favour of prisoners' rights and correct treatment.
	February 1996 - Meeting the High and Mighty Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl organised a memorable public meeting at the Eden Beach Hotel, St George's Bay (Paceville), in which the Prim Minister, Dr Edward Fenech Adami, the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Alfred Sant, and the Archbishop, Mons. Joseph Mercieca, were present. In Malta's social history this was an undisputed "first" in many ways. For once, the politicians did not talk, but listened while the families of prisoners, and ex-prisoners, spoke out their heart. Also, it was the first time that the Prim Minister and the Leader of the Opposition met at a meeting organised by a voluntary group. This meeting was the first organised by Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, and the most outstanding and unforgettable of all. Read more about this
	May 1996 - Probation Service Order Magistrate Carmel A. Agius awarded Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl with a Probation Service Order for a 20-year old prisoner. This was the first time that such confidence was shown to Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl by the honourable courts. Much more had to follow afterwards. Then, however, the organisation was practically still in its infancy, and yet Magistrate Agius' act of faith in Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's potential and competence was staggering. That was really another moment to remember.
	February 1997 - A Member on the Prison Board It came as a surprise when the then Prim Minister, Dr Alfred Sant (who was also Minister of Home Affairs), announced that one of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's members had been chosen to sit on the Prison Board. This was taken as a most sure sign of the high esteem the organisation had acquired in the eyes of the civil authorities. Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl kept this post for three consecutive years. By way of the extensive powers such a position bestowed, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl could be ever more effective in its voluntary work while partaking of many decision-making processes. Read more about this
	March 1997 - Re-allocation of the Female Section The Female Section was re-allocated from a small wretched area to a large spacious division. This must have been one of the most dramatic achievements of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, accomplished in close collaboration with the inmates of the section, and the Ombudsman, Joseph Sammut. With due pressure from us all, also publicly (the Ombudsman even officially visited the female area, to the immense amusement of the press), the then Prim Minister, Dr Alfred Sant, sought out a feasible solution. He eventually transferred to a disused school complex at Mtahleb the inmates of the so-called Division Seven (which was reserved for prisoners receiving therapeutic support to fight their drug habits), and re-allocated the female inmates to the vacant division. Never have the female prisoners been more content.
	March 1997 - Uniting all Prison Volunteers A most successful initiative of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl led to the establishment of an Association that brings together all volunteers engaged in voluntary work within the prisons. The idea was enthusiastically supported by the civil and prison authorities as much as by all the different groups of volunteers. The setting up of the Association was aimed at better coordinating the varied work done in the prisons by volunteers. The Association serves also as a liaison between the prison authorities and the voluntary groups. Read more about this
	July 1997- Keeping the Juvenile on Track Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, through its Prison Board Member, was highly effective in establishing a professional and proficient atmosphere in the newly-established Juvenile Section, then situated above the "Debituri" (Debtors) complex. The experience with a juvenile section at the Corradino Prisons was then at a high risk due to the fact that, though planned, no specific program of action was being used. Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl kept close watch, a constant presence, due pressure, and an indefatigable will to get the prison authorities to get down to real business. Which, eventually, they did. Read more about this
	June 1999 - Unveiling an Appalling Act On June 22 three Libyan prisoners were beaten up in the prisons by prison officials. This was one of the most serious acts of inhuman treatment register at our prisons in recent times. And if it wasn't for Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, to unveiled the appalling act to the public and to authoritative entities, such as Amnesty International, all would have been conveniently hushed up. Following Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's courageous undertaking, the Council of Europe took official note of the beatings, and formally asked the Maltese Government to explain. Since then, thanks to Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's vigilance, no other similar case was ever reported to have occurred at our prisons again.
	January 2001 - Unraveling the Libyan Hunger Strike The Libyan prisoners, who amounted to about one third of the prison population, decided to start a hunger strike. They were determined to fight till the end if their demands were not met satisfactorily. The situation was quite tense and dangerous, with also a generous coverage by the media. Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, by way of one of its members, was chosen by the Libyans as their special advisor in the ordeal. Later, when matters were leading to a head-on collision, the prison Director himself, Emmanuel Cassar, asked Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl's member to act as intermediary. His negotiating skills disentangled the difficult knot without the least of a single incident.
	January 2003 - Visits within the Prison Divisions Since December 1995 Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl regularly and constantly visited the prisons on a weekly basis, and organised a common meeting for prisoners at what was then called the "Arkivju" (Archive). In January 2003 this practice changed. Due to the renewed trust that Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl inspired in the prison authorities, the volunteers was henceforth allowed to enter the prison divisions themselves, that is the long and large corridors where prisoners have their cells. In such manner, the volunteers of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl could meet prisoners on a personal level, and not collectively anymore.
	December 2003 - Better communication with the prisoners Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl started an upgrading of its regular printed communication with the prisoners at the Corradino Correctional Facility. This was possible through the goodwill of prison Director, Mr Sandro Gatt, who, on the 16th of December, gave his permission for the face to face distribution of the organisation's newsletter in Maltese, L-ARKA, to the prisoners. Before, some copies of the newsletter used to be left of a table in each division, and prisoners did whatever they liked with them at will. Much waste was being noted. The new system is altogether both more economical and effective. Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl plans to issue a bi-lingual edition of the newsletter in English and Arabic called THE ARC, for foreign prisoners, who make up one third of the prison population.
	January 2004 - Return to the Juvenile Section A four-year four-month ban—in force since August 1999—that unjustly prohibited Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl from entering the Juvenile Section at the Corradino Correctional Facility was finally lifted unexpectedly. During a courtesy visit to the organisation's centre on December 30, 2003, the Prison Director, Mr Sandro Gatt, announced the lifting of the ban with immediate effect. throughout the whole period Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl had constantly kept reminding the authorities and protesting publicly so that the prohibition be removed. In February 2003 it seemed that the long wait was over, but more months had to pass until the final day approached. Finally, on January 6, 2004, the volunteers of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl could return to the Juvenile to resume their visits on a regular basis. Read more about this
	June 2004 - Establishment of Victim Support Malta Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl sought to create a professional victim support service a little more than a year after its establishment. In 1997 it presented its plans to government, and worked steadfastly to materialise the project. However, due to lack of government support the whole enterprise had to be shelved for a number of years. It was then taken up again in 2003, and this time round the work done paid off. Victim Support Malta was established on June 9, 2004. From the beginning, though begun on its own initiative, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl intended this service for victims of crime to have a life of its own. The first step towards Victim Support Malta's independence from Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl was taken in September 2005. Read more about this
	November 2004 - Part of recruitment programme In Malta recruitment of new prison officials is rare. Maybe once every five years or so. However nowadays, unlike in former days, the authorities insist that all new recruits be given sound basic training before being employed at the prisons. Such training, both practical and theoretical, was provided at the Police Academy, Valletta, in October/November 2004 for some 45 prison recruits that had to be engaged as from the beginning of the following year. On this occasion, for the first time ever, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl was invited by the prison authorities to participate in the training programme. Six lectures were read, and three workshops organised, on the theme 'Working with Human Persons'. Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl was the only voluntary organisation ever to be part of such a programme.
	November 2007 - New Female Section MDD was instrumental in the creation of a second wing for Female inmates, called 'Female B'. In the weeks preceding the event a public letter was issued by the female inmates, and a strong-worded article posted on one of the local Sunday newspapers. Pressure was mounted, publicly and with the relevant authorities, for the creation of a second wing for female inmates for a variety of reasons. One of these was overcrowding; and another was the oppressive environment engendered by gangs of female inmates. In just two days the prison authorities worked tirelessly on the creation of the new wing, and immediately transferred a number of female inmates to it. MDD had been actively present during the whole of this process, and publicly lauded the creation of the new wing.
	January 2008 - Unveiling the imprisonment of a 13-year old A shocking judicial case would have remained absolutely concealed if it was not for MDD. A 13-year old girl had been callously sentenced to prison by the Juvenile Court over a minor incident of child tussling. MDD blew the whistle and brought the case to the attention of the public. General criticism and denunciation followed by people of all walks of life. For weeks on end politicians, magistrates, opinion makers, government ministers, and even Maltese Members of the European Parliament openly condemned the sentence, and voiced their concern for children’s rights in Malta. To make things worse, in order not to detain her at the common prisons, the distraught child was sent to a mental institution. It was hoped that the clamour raised by MDD would prevent similar cruelties from repeating themselves.
	January 2008 - Unveiling an act of injustice MDD took off the lid over another miscarriage of justice that would have remained totally secreted away by the powers to be. The appalling case concerned a 19-year old Somali who had been accused of rape ... notwithstanding the fact that at the time of the alleged crime he carried a urinary catheter through his penis. The accused had already spent 10 months in prison awaiting trial. He had developed a neuropathic bladder as a result of gunshot injury two years earlier while fleeing soldiers in his devastate homeland. In prison he suffered a dreadful infection. He had not been assigned a lawyer for his defence. MDD again blew the whistle over this horrendous disrespect towards human dignity and rights. The case was immediately taken up the Commission for the Administration of Justice, headed by the President of the Republic and the Chief Justice
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