An axe hangs over the heads of the three top managers of the prison service after an independent Government-sanctioned review recommended they be sacked.

Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton said he was likely to make a decision by the end of the month.

Yesterday he unveiled the recommendations of the management review panel headed by Reverend Goodwin Smith in January which was set up following industrial action by prison staff last year.

The review recommended Commissioner John Prescod have his contract terminated early. His three-year contract is due to expire in May next year.

It also calls for the immediate retirement of Assistant Commissioner Marvin Trott while also recommending Assistant Commissioner Randall Woolridge be removed.

The review said: "It is the opinion of the panel that it is impossible to go forward without the full support of the executive staff.

"In filling this void, the Ministry (should) consider using the services of an outside organisation to provide the human resources and expertise necessary to fill the posts of Commissioner and all three Assistant Commissioners on a fixed-term consultancy basis."

Mr. Horton said this formula was successfully used in 1995 when Government contracted Vancouver International Services to manage the transition of the airport from the US Navy to the Bermuda Government.

He said teams would be set up to look at areas needing attention, possibly consisting of prison staff, retired prison staff, the private sector and other Government departments.

One team would be required to develop and implement a succession plan with training and development programmes, not just for the senior posts but for the entire organisation. Candidates would come from both inside and outside the organisation.

The review committee urged: "The Ministry must, as a matter of priority, give the matter immediate attention as inaction is likely to have serious implications for officers and staff of the department, the inmates and ultimately the Bermuda society as a whole."

Mr. Horton said he would be consulting the Public Service Commission given the recommendation of the early termination of civil servant's jobs, as well as the Attorney General, the Accountant General and Human Resources.

He told The Royal Gazette: "I still have to make a decision. I would really like to make a decision by the end of the month. There is much work to be done.

"I am looking at the recommendations in the context of the entire corrections system."

He refused to give an indication of whether he would opt to sack all three prison leaders, keep all three or keep some.

However he added: "We want an environment the prison officers feel happy with".

Whatever was done would have the key goal of rehabilitation in mind said Mr. Horton.

The review committee, which also included retired union boss Eugene Blakeney and Bermuda Security Group head Herman Tucker had been given the remit of looking at assessing prison leadership and whether Commissioner John Prescod had been carrying out his mandate of implementing recommendations from a 2001 board of inquiry.

That accusation had been made by prison officers who had called for him to go during a four-day strike last year. They said he was arrogant, autocratic and had failed to implement 23 out of 35 recommendations.

Officers had been campaigning for better appraisal, training, succession planning, career planing, consultation and communication.