Crime was the focus at United Bermuda Party headquarters as four more candidates were unveiled yesterday.

The Opposition's stance on crime and punishment is a multi-focused one which would implement hard-line policies as well as a focus on rehabilitation.

"In Smiths as elsewhere in Bermuda, the issue of crime is front and centre in people's minds," said UBP leader Grant Gibbons.

"The new United Bermuda Party is committed to bringing the crisis of crime under control - with more police officers on the beat, stronger sentencing laws, better detection, prosecution and rehabilitation programmes that work."

And the party declared that the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme was not working, but the UBP's version of it would.

Dr. Gibbons introduced Maxwell Burgess, Cole Simons, Allan Marshall and Trevor Moniz as his party's candidates for Hamilton South, Smiths South, Smiths West and Smiths North or Districts seven, eight, nine and ten, respectively.

"Not enough criminals are getting the rehabilitation they need to get back on the straight and narrow when they are released," said Mr. Marshall, the Shadow Minister for Telecommunications and E-commerce. "Those who commit minor offences, or are first time offenders should be punished - but we also need to make sure they do not become repeat offenders."

He said a UBP Government would support prison rehabilitation programmes which give prisoners the "tools to turn their lives around".

"That means creating an Alternative to Incarceration programme that is more than just a revolving door for criminals. We'll work to bring drug rehabilitation programmes to our Island's prisons and ensure that those who are locked up get the skills training they need to become productive members of society upon their release."

Mr. Marshall said later that by Minister Terry Lister's own admission ATI was not working.

"There's a high recidivism rate and over the last four and a half to five years the community has not seen any substantial progress with regard to this revolving door syndrome.

"Notwithstanding those challenges of ATI, the prison service itself has challenges that the community was made painfully aware of most recently and they are challenges that go right up to the leadership..."