former addicts, Government Ministers and business people are among those who have come together to draw up a blueprint for dealing with crime.

So many different sectors of the community have been invited to join the initiative looking at alternatives to prison because the tentacles of crime, particularly drugs, reach into virtually every sector of society.

The project is being funded by reinsurance company RenaissanceRe for the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety. The research will be organised by Advocates for Human Potential, America's leading organisation for finding solutions to social problems.

By September, the series of task forces of "key stakeholders'' will have presented Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox with recommendations about alternatives to sending criminals to prison.

A policy group under Ms Cox will involve Health Minister Nelson Bascome, Coordinator of Security Services at the Home Affairs Department Martin Law, Director of Child and Family Services Luelle Todd, and chief executive officer of the National Drugs Commission Derrick Binns.

Task forces looking at particular issues will be chaired by Mr. Law, Ms Todd, and Dr. Binns. They will include acting Director of Public Prosecutions William Pearce, retired businessman and member of the Treatment of Offenders Board Michael Markham, RenaissanceRe underwriter Charles Hollis, Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller, and former Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp.

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