A halfway house for former inmates is to open within the month in the City of Hamilton.

Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing, David Burch, announced the scheme last night at a presentation evening for the Transitional Living Center (TLC), which helps prisoners to adjust back into society.

In his closing remarks, Sen. Burch said Government was to officially launch the facility next week, in partnership with the Bermuda Housing Corporation, Parole Board, Department of Corrections and Court Services.

"The Housing Corporation will be launching in the next week or so, a transitional grooming facility for inmates. A halfway house is what it is," said Sen. Burch.

"It is makeshift but we are prepared to do whatever we can, to assist in any way we can."

Sen. Burch told The Royal Gazette the property formerly housed women and children who are now accommodated at Southside. Government is currently finding furniture for the building and aims to open the facility by December 1. It is capable of housing five people in single rooms or ten if double room occupancy is proposed.

"We identified a building which needed major renovations and wanted to come up with something. It became vacant and so this was a good solution," said the Minister.

"It's a small step. People can't get parole if they don't have anywhere to stay or a job, and so we will work with them.

"The idea is to provide some support infrastructure so they can transition from jail to TLC to this to ultimately living on their own."