Gym sneakers, notebooks, book bags, and art supplies are just a few items that children will be needing for the upcoming school year.

With this in mind, the Prison Fellowship Bermuda (PFB) has announced the commencement of its annual Back To School Programme.

The programme offers assistance to less fortunate children of the community with a parent or parents who are incarcerated.

"We are expecting to respond to the needs of over 100 children this year - it gets bigger because the inmates get more confident in the programme," said spokesman, Jack Harris.

"About three years ago, we had 60 children, and 85 between the ages of four and 16 the following year."

He said that it is not up to the programme to choose which child needs the most help, but it is up to the incarcerated parent to request help.

The programme is offered to all prison facilities; the Prison Farm, Co-ed Facility, the remand section at Westgate and the general population of Westgate.

"They (the incarcerated parent) have to give us the information and contacts and from his information, we find the particular needs of the child. We don't go out and buy the things we think they need, we don't want the child to end up with five book bags and one notebook," Mr. Harris said.

Instead, they send the parent or guardian who is caring for the child a form that they fill out which points out the child's needs. "We actually take the child shopping, that is why we need lots of volunteers - it's a very intense process."

The programme provides children with items for their school uniform, miscellaneous clothing, lunch boxes, school bags, shoes, sneakers, sweaters, socks, and school supplies.

The PFB is a completely voluntary, self-funding charity that works only with inmates and their families.

"Every penny we get goes to the welfare of the inmates and their families, but in this particular programme, the money goes to the inmates' children," said Mr. Harris.

Although the PFB realises the average person will not contribute money to support the inmate, they hope that people will support the innocent - their children.

Mr. Harris invites members of the community to help fund the programme and become volunteers.

If anyone wishes to volunteer or donate, they can call chairperson of the PFB, Joy Fubler at 293-6171.