new prison the West End Correctional Facility.

There are fears the name will stigmatise schools and businesses in the area which already use "West End'' in their names.

The West End Primary School PTA is particularly upset over the name and is circulating a petition in Sandys Parish which it plans to present to Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness this month.

Parents and teachers were concerned people would think of the school as being in the same neighbourhood as the maximum security prison, PTA president Mrs.

Cheryl Lister said.

Shadow Minister for Social Services Mr. Nelson Bascome and Sandys South MP Mr.

Walter Roberts PLP have agreed with the PTA.

Mr. Edness said he did not share their concerns, but it was a "difficult call''.

He revealed it was highly likely the names of the Co-Ed Facility and Prison Farm in St. George's would be changed to "East End'' correctional facilities.

Mr. Edness said he did not believe the new name would mire the reputation of the school or businesses in the area.

He said, "The Correctional Facility is part of the community. The name gives the locality of where it is and it embodies the new philosophy of the prison (currently Casemates Prison) being a correctional facility.

"It's a good name and I don't think it in any way stigmatises the West End Primary School.

Residents must recognise that the prison is part of the community, he said.

He was willing to accept the petition, however, and consider the matter.

Mrs. Lister said some 600-1,000 people were expected to sign the petition, launched three weeks ago.

"We have had a very good response to it,'' she said.

"There are hundreds of names that could have been chosen. We should not be giving the children something that could put their school in a bad light.

"There could be a linkage between the correctional facility and our school.'' Mrs. Lister pointed out the Ferry Reach Co-Ed Facility and Prison Farm were not called `East End' prisons.

"Why have a name so closely linked to the school?,'' she asked.

Mrs. Lister said West End businesses were also concerned about the name and had been invited to sign the petition as well.

"People do not like the association,'' she said. "There are too many other things associated with the West End that are positive.'' Mr. Roberts, Shadow Works Minister, first brought up his constituents' concerns in Parliament 10 days ago.

He pointed out Government's original plan was to call the new prison the Bermuda Correctional Facility and urged the Works Ministry to have a rethink.

"There is a feeling out there that calling that type of institution `West End' sort of puts the names of several schools and businesses in the area in not the best of light,'' Mr. Roberts said. "The school especially does not like it.'' Mr. Edness said the name Bermuda Correctional Facility would not identify where the prison was. There were incarceration facilities in the East End as well, he said.

Mr. Roberts' concerns were also shared by Mr. Bascome, who said he had received a number of complaints from residents about the name.

It could be confused with West End Primary School and businesses and clubs who use West End in their names, he said during Works Budget debate.

Mr. Roberts said he intended to bring up the matter again in the debate over the Education Ministry Budget.