Random drug tests in prison, introduced late last year, have already succeeded in reducing drug use in the Island's prison, Government claimed yesterday.

Public Safety Minister Terry Lister also told his parliamentary colleagues that other initiatives such as introducing ion scan machines and sniffer dogs had shown gains in the prison systems efforts to keep drugs out of the facilities.

The initiatives were introduced after the completion of a recent survey which showed rampant drug use by prisoners.

But Mr. Lister praised Work Inc, which provides services for former inmates, for conducting the survey and providing benchmark data on the prison population which could be used to measure progress.

"This report will greatly assist the various agencies responsible for providing support and assistance to inmates on their release," he added.

He said that many of the surveys findings, which included the large proportion of blacks in the system (91.9 percent) and generally low levels of academic achievement, supported anecdotal information.

And he pointed out that some of the report's conclusions and recommendations were already being implemented.

"I am pleased to confirm that mandatory classes are now in place following the passage of legislative amendments last year," he said.

"Today, 174 students are enrolled in educational classes and 68 in vocational classes at Westgate. But 68 students at the Co-Ed facility and 24 at the Prison Farm are taking part in classes."

About half of the prison population was surveyed between February and October last year. No statistical adjustments were made because the demographics of the sample closely matched Bermuda's overall population profile.

Among the survey's findings were that the average age of an inmate was just under 33 years, that only a third of all inmates had not been to prison before and that 7.5 percent reported using drugs within the previous 24 hours. Forty five percent of the inmates reported that they had used drugs within the last six months and over ten percent said that they had used within the last week.

Nearly half said they thought it would not be too difficult to get drugs in prison.

Since the survey was completed, Minister Lister said, the proportion of non-Bermudians in prison had increased to 23 percent from under ten percent as reported in the survey report.

At a press conference later, he said, that that was likely the result of greater success at nabbing drug importers, a greater proportion of whom are foreigners.

Minister Lister said he accepted the validity of the survey and was pleased with the finding that three quarters of the prison population had a positive outlook on life.

"This suggests that the average attitude of an inmate when released is receptive to living a constructive lifestyle."