Housing a prisoner for one year costs more than $80,000 but the Opposition claim not enough is being done to rehabilitate inmates.

Opposition MPs were speaking during the debate on the Corrections Department, part of a five-hour debate dedicated to the Labour, Home Affairs and Housing budget.

On Wednesday, Junior Minister of Labour Home Affairs and Housing, Walter Roban presented the Corrections' budget, which received a two percent increase, or $691,000 more in funding for a total of $30,163,000.

Mr. Roban defended Government's spending on inmates explaining much has been done to rehabilitate them.

He pointed to the Therapeutic Centre programme, Right Living House, which received $1,459,000, an increase in this year's budget. It is intended to help inmates free themselves from addiction and teach them how to live outside prison without drugs.

And Mr. Roban told the House $483,000 was budgeted for employing part-time teachers for the inmates, with 12 getting their GED last year.

Mr. Roban also commented on the increased cooperation between the Corrections department and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI) and health services on the Island.

He said: "Recently an inmate was able to be transported to MAWI in 24 hours rather than (what used to or could take) four weeks."

And while 53 inmates made parole last year versus 50 the previous year, the average number of inmates fell from 260 last year to 257 this year.

There was, however, an increase in assaults between prisoners from one assault to six last year, according to Mr. Roban, while 167 prisoners were re-offenders — compared to 193.

Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz said he worried that the numbers on recidivism were deceiving. "The problem of recidivism is that the figures make it sound very small with 37.03 percent recidivism, but that doesn't reflect the reality of crime in these islands.

"The police will say the 37 percent recidivism rate commit 43 percent of all crime."

Mr. Moniz added that the Opposition would like to see a continued effort to ensure prisoners do not reoffend when they are released from prison and more done about drugs and cell phones in the prison.

He added: "We would like to see a continued concentration on what can be done for rehabilitating offenders. I have major concerns about Westgate.

"There seems to be an endemic problem there with drugs in the prison. The Minister said they want to have inmates stop smoking and I was thinking 'to stop smoking what'?"

John Barritt Shadow Minister for Legislative Reform and Justice voiced concern about the amount spent on prisoners and wondered if more could not be gained for the money spent.

He added: "The cost has increased to $81,083 per inmate. That's $2,000 more than last year. And with the General Education Degree, there were 12 this year and 15 last year.

"When you look at the fantastic sum we are spending to incarcerate people in Bermuda there is also supposed to be a rehabilitative aspect to it. Something more productive needs to come out."

Mr. Roban answered that the parole numbers have increased and there is a standard plan as to how and when an inmate receives parole.