justice system, it was revealed yesterday.

A seven-member team, chaired by Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales, Judge Stephen Tumim will begin the inquiry next week. It will take into account: the criminal justice system and the primary legislation which impacts on prisons; the criminal justice system procedures and policies and, where appropriate, make recommendations for sentencing alternatives; the perception that persons of different races and backgrounds are treated differently by the system; and how Bermuda can change the emphasis from custody to correction.

Acting Social Services Minister the Hon. Michael Winfield, making the announcement in a Press conference also attended by new Prison Commissioner Mr. Ed Dyer, said the Island is thought to be the first country in the world to undertake such a broad look at the criminal justice system.

Sen. Winfield said Government felt the need for such a study due to concerns about Bermuda's high rate of incarceration, recidivism and the disproportionately large number of black males in prison.

He said part of the beginnings of this study could also be found in consultant Dr. David Archibald's National Drug Strategy Report.

"There has been a great deal of discussion in the community lately about the disproportionately large number of black males who make up our prison population,'' Sen. Winfield said. "Some people seem to feel this is a problem whose explanation is simply a sign that our criminal justice system may retain an element of historical racism.

"The Government believes, however, that this is an oversimplification of a complicated matter. We suspect that a number of complex social factors are in play, some of which may never before have been studied seriously, either here or abroad.

"Government is also deeply concerned about a closely related matter -- the total number of people in Bermuda who end up in prison.

"We have a very high rate of incarceration. Too many people become repeat offenders.'' At the urging of Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, he said, Government agreed to put together a team of people to investigate the causes of these problems, and to recommend, where appropriate, alternative ways of correcting the situation.

The team's local members are Puisne Judge Mrs. Justice Norma Wade, Community and Cultural Affairs director Mr. Lowdru Robinson, Sandys Secondary principal and Prison Fellowship, Bermuda board member Mr. Melvin Bassett.

British members, who will arrive on Saturday and participate in the study at no fee except for travel expenses, are prison governor and barrister Mr. Tony French, principal officer in the Home Office whose work has included postings to the Prison Service, the Police Department, Immigration and Nationality Department, and criminal justice expert and research consultant Mr. David Jenkins.

Mr. Jenkins, who has lectured at university level in social policy, the sociology of law and criminology, is a former director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, and a former research fellow at the Policy Studies Institute in London.

Judge Tumim, a former Judge of Willesden County Court, was president of a Mental Health Tribunal in Britain from 1983 to 1987 and was co-author of the Woolf Report -- issued after an inquiry into prison disturbances in England in April, 1990.

Government is urging the public to make submissions to the team by contacting Miss Janine Bentley at 292-6384 or writing to Judge Tumim in care of the Department of Personnel Services at Global House on Church Street. The deadline for written submissions is July 29.

The review is expected to take about a month to complete, Sen. Winfield said, with the Premier expected to receive a final report by the end of September.

"This subject has remained in the shadows for too long,'' he said. "We can only bring light to it if we get the participation of the society at large.'',