Islands prison system by taking on people that would normally have gone to jail for minor offences like not being able to pay fines.

Not only that, but it is continuing to help many ex-inmates to get back into the work force.

With the help of many public departments and private companies, The Woodshop has been kept very busy, one of its most recent projects being the restoration at St. David's Battery.

"We are a self-help programme,'' said project manager Cleveland Simmons. "We don't stop the problem, but we give a man a chance to move out of the situations and direct them to the best possible services for their problem.'' He said that from the beginning of Woodshop the public had been very good to them.

"We got our first job in Tucker's Town working with Pool Care,'' he said.

"In most cases they provide the work and we provide the labour.'' Mr. Simmons boasted that there were many great success stories from the men he worked with. And he is one himself.

He said:"If someone had told me 20 years ago that I would have been doing this I would have said `you're joking'.'' Since The Woodshop is a self-help organisation, it sees some of its workers fall back into their old ways and life, but Mr. Simmons doesn't see this as a problem.

"We don't have problems,'' he said, "we just have challenges.

"I look at it like we're teething. I just pull them out.'' Also he was very happy with the reception Woodshop has received from St.

George's.

"The St. George's community has accepted and adopted us into their family,'' he said.