Government may look at electronic tagging of criminals released into the community under the Alternatives to Incarceration programme if there is a need, it was revealed yesterday.

Director of child and family services Alfred Maybury said the issue would be looked at if Police and Probation officers felt some offenders could not be monitored properly when they are released early from prison.

He said: "We have looked at electronic monitoring. We've just looked into it and eventually we may go that way.

"Right now we have systems in place that are effective in tracking. If it gets to a point that officers identify that as a need, we'll address it."

He said within the prisons, there were programmes in place to ensure those who qualify for early release undergo preparation first, to determine that they are suitable

At the same press conference, Health Minister Nelson Bascome urged as many stake-holders as possible to attend a `trailblazing conference' on Monday at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel on the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme.

Guest speaker at the two-day seminar will be Stedman Graham, a self-help expert and community leader from the United States, who is also Oprah Winfrey's boyfriend.

Mr. Graham, the founder member of Athletes Against Drugs, is chief executive of the 11th largest advertising agency in the US, Graham Gregory Bozell, and is the author of nine step `empowerment' book `You Can Make It Happen'.

Other top speakers include Laurie Robinson of the Programme on Crime at the Jerry Lee Centre of Criminology, John Oldman, professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University, Jack Sarmanian of the New York City Alternative Assistance Programme, and Robin Wilson, the acting chief psychologist for the Ontario Region of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Local presenters include Commissioner of Police Jonathan Smith, Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo, Puisne judges Charles-Etta Simmons and Norma Wade-Miller, Parole Board chairman Cromwell Shakir.

Mr. Bascome said Government was hoping ATI will reduce Bermuda's 80 percent recidivism rate.

"This conference is indeed a trail-blazing event. It will launch an unprecedented opportunity for Bermuda to change forever the practice of locking up offenders as the only sentencing option," he said.

"We have the legislation in place to offer sentences other than imprisonment. This is our opportunity to learn how we can reduce the number of offenders to return to prison again, and again and again.

"Right now, that rate stands at 80 percent and society as small as Bermuda cannot continue to absorb the effects of that number of repeat offenders."