Members of the public are being urged to attend a two-day training conference on the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme - that aims to train and educate on the initiative.

Minister for Labour and Home Affairs Terry Lister said at a press conference yesterday that the seminar had been arranged to educate professionals and volunteers in the organisations who dealt with offenders, as well as the general public.

He said the conference, on March 25 and 26, will discuss the philosophy behind ATI, how it was conceived, how it was developed, and how it was being implemented.

But he said the seminar will be a "significant training event" that will bring together various groups who need to work with each other on the concept.

He said: "The Hon. Premier (Jennifer Smith), myself and Minister Nelson Bascome will speak briefly at the conference, but the bulk of the conference will be presented by a dynamic blend of overseas practitioners in the criminal justice field, along with their local counterparts.

"We are anticipating strong support from the Justices and Magistrates, and the Chief Justice has said that he will be as flexible as possible with his court schedule to allow them to participate.

"Lawyers, prosecutors, probation officers, Police and prison officers, community service providers and community workers all have an important role in this conference. Anyone who has dealings with the offender client group will benefit from attendance.

"The ATI initiative has always been viewed by the Government as a major philosophical shift to bring about a significant effort towards positive social change.

"We simply can no longer afford to lose generations of young men by locking them up, without affording real opportunities to make them a productive part of society."

The ATI programme was introduced last year in a bid to reduce the number of people in prison, and to offer offenders with addictions a chance to receive treatment and counselling, as well as an opportunity to retrain in the workforce.

As part of the initiative, the drug court was launched, which offers offenders rehabilitation, on the proviso that if they do not succeed, they must serve a prison term.

Despite the ATI programme getting off the ground last year, Health Minister Nelson Bascome said yesterday that it was not too late to hold the two-day conference.

He said: "Right now, we are in the mode of implementation, and as we move forward, people will benefit from it."

He said people in key positions have worked with people overseas to see how they are implementing similar programmes, particularly in North America, and he said it was now "timely" that the public were given an opportunity to be fully informed.

He added: "The content of the conference will include plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops. In plenary sessions, the development and impact of ATI will be explained, the challenge and promise of safe communities through ATI will be explored, the link between drugs and criminality will be described, case management and violent risk assessment will be articulated."

The event will be held at Fairmont Southampton Princess and will cost $50 for the two days.

Presentors will include Laurie Robinson, assistant attorney general for former US President Bill Clinton, who was responsible for America's move away from the prisons and towards ATI.

Other speakers will be Melody Heaps, founder and president of Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, in Chicago, and author, motivator and community leader Steadman Graham.

But last night, Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said the conference should have been held prior to the ATI programme being introduced.

She said: "It's indicative of this Government's attitude to act first and think second. They put their programmes in drive when their brains are in park.

"While it's necessary to do it, it's a little late in coming. It should have been done before. And while I, as Shadow Minister, will pay $50 to hear about what it is that is available with ATI, I'm not sure whether members of the public will. They may have to re-think it."

Invitations and brochures will be mailed to organisations around the Island, but for more information call the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs.