Government is set to experiment with the electronic tagging of prisoners, Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton has revealed.

The idea was floated in last year?s Justice System Review, which said it could help keep tabs on offenders being released back into the community.

However, Mr. Horton revealed few details when he spoke to .

He said: ?Tagging is something we are looking at. We will do some experiments to see how it works soon. I don?t want to say specifically what category (of offender).?

Opposition MP Michael Dunkley has voiced his support for electronic tagging and a tougher prison regime to stop inmates viewing Westgate as an easy option.

He said people regularly told him they aren?t afraid of prison in Bermuda, which has the second highest incarceration rates in the world.

?It is acceptable to go there and enjoy it while they are up there, some find it a terrifying ordeal but those are the few,? Mr. Dunkley said.

?The lifestyle is too easy. When you get incarcerated you are there for a reason ? because your behaviour is not acceptable.?

Tagging would allow more prisoners to be put to work picking up trash rather than lazing up at prison at the taxpayer?s expense, said Mr. Dunkley. The Prison Officers Association has also voiced support for tagging.

The prisoners would learn work habits such as good time keeping, said Mr. Dunkley, while the tagging would remove any fears they could get far if they escaped.

He said there should be tougher sentences for repeat offenders rather than having a maximum sentence no matter how many times someone had done a crime.

There is a need for a total rethink of how prisoners are handled, said Mr. Dunkley, who added that Government?s Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) scheme is a fine programme but it is not getting mass results.

Just five offenders have completed Drug Court, the centre piece of ATI, set up after it was determined the justice system was too punitive, with civil, non-violent and violent offenders often receiving similar punishments.

Drug court opened in October 2001 and gives sentencing breaks to substance-addicted criminals who reform.

The programme, which lasts at least two years, requires frequent court appearances for monitoring and enforcement as well as active participation in drug treatment interventions, drug testing and appointments with a probation officer/case manager.

Eleven participants have reached the final Phase Five of one year duration but only five have completed the programme outright, according to a recent Government statement.

Since its inception, the programme has maintained a five percent re-offending rate of participants whilst in the programme and averages an 89 percent compliance rate per month. A total of 51 offenders have joined the programme and 19 are currently enrolled with two others being assessed for admittance.

Prison Officers Association president Craig Clarke said many inmates have been ruled out for ATI because they had committed violent crimes but he said if the offence was not serious they should still be considered.

And he called for probation and docking of wages to be used for those who are now being jailed for debt.

Government has also boosted the Community Service programme with 28 clients now subject to community service orders.

During May, 1042.5 hours were completed, using 16 site placements.

Government said a National Strategy to Counter Youthful Offending will be implemented in the first quarter of 2006 although few detail have yet to emerge.