strong impression on other delegates at this summer's Prison Fellowship International conference in Seoul, South Korea, local delegates said this week.

PFB is a non-denominational Christian ministry that has been lending support to Bermuda's inmates, former inmates and their families for five years.

The August meeting attracted representatives from associated and chartered prison fellowships from 82 countries, including PFB executive director Mr.

Glenn Caines and prison chaplain, Canon Arnold Hollis.

Mr. Caines is the registered charity's only full-time employee, and is charged with coordinating the efforts of 70 volunteers.

He said many people at the conference were impressed with the success of his organisation's programmes. And PFB's support of Latvia's fledgling prison fellowship also drew notice from delegates.

Each month, $100 is forwarded to the fellowship office in the former Soviet state to help cover its operating costs.

The Bermudian ministry also helped a member of the Latvian fellowship attend the Seoul conference.

Mr. Caines said that many other attendees were inspired to take on similar projects when they saw how the Bermuda organisation had reached "that far around the world''.

Mr. Caines said the first week of the conference was devoted to leadership training, covering such topics as structuring of the ministries, the establishment of boards and the organisation of ministry activities.

Week two involved workshops, country reports, public relations and media training, and worship.

Calling the meeting a chance for "massive networking and interacting'', Mr.

Caines said the event also gave him an opportunity to meet face-to-face with people who had been merely "voices on the telephone''.

PFB provides assistance from the pre-trial stage until well after release.

Volunteers give moral and spiritual support to family members as well as prisoners, conducting seminars and providing employment and housing assistance.

Their programmes are active at Casemates Prison, the Prison Farm and the Co-Educational Facility, which combines the Senior Training School and Female Prison.

"This is not rehabilitation,'' said Mr. Caines, " It's restoration -- restoring the individual to where he should be.'' Mr. Caines said that PFB is planning to expand its family assistance programme, especially its services for children of the incarcerated. Car pools have been organised to transport children to and from visits with their parents, and they hope to have a summer activities calender set up next year to help break the "circle of crime''.

PFB also took part in Government's review of the criminal justice system in Bermuda, with PFB board member Mr. Melvin Bassett sitting on the Review Committee. PFB will also submit a full report to the prison service on personal improvement programmes to habilitate in October.

PFB is currently planning two major events: an October clothing sale, and their Christmas project, "Angel Tree''.

Angel Tree is a gift-distributing scheme, which was a resounding success last year. Fifty children with an incarcerated parent received gifts in 1991.

Those wishing to donate a gift during the '92 campaign need only remove an angel ornament from one of the PFB trees, which will be located in participating churches and businesses in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Printed on the bottom of each ornament is the gift requested by one of the children in the programme.