reappointed Commissioner of Prisons, Government Information Services announced yesterday.

He replaces Mr. Milton Pringle who retires early from the post on June 30. Mr.

Pringle announced his retirement following a series of recent embarrassments to the Prison Service, including a steamy sex show at the prison officers' club, a convicted child killer's fling with a prostitute while attending a counselling session, the escape of a convicted murderer from Casemates, and the killing of a tourist allegedly by a prisoner on a work-release programme.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness would not say whether Mr. Pringle was pushed into retiring, insisting "politicians do not get involved in the hiring and firing of civil servants''.

Mr. Dyer's appointment follows Governor Sir Desmond Langley's approval this week of a recommendation by the Public Service Commission.

Mr. Edness said the Prison Service was "very fortunate'' to have Mr. Dyer back.

The 53-year-old first joined the Prison Service in 1965 and after a two-year attachment to the United Kingdom's Home Office to study prison management and administration, was appointed commissioner in 1978.

"Mr. Dyer is extremely competent and ran the prisons very well when he was commissioner (1978-1988),'' Mr. Edness said.

However, Opposition Senator Alex Scott charged yesterday that prison officers do not support his reappointment, He said news of the appointment was not going to help prison officers' "falling morale''.

Even though Mr. Dyer is a Bermudian and served in the Prison Service for more than two decades, Sen. Scott said it was his information the prison officers "were strongly of the opinion'' someone currently in the Service should have been made commissioner.

Sen. Scott said the current deputy commissioner was more than qualified for the job and charged Government was "circumventing the normal promotional procedure of the prisons''.

The new commissioner will have the challenge of overseeing the prison service takeover of the new maximum security prison which is expected to be completed by next September. He will also be supervising the implementation of recommendations designed to improve the functioning of the Prisons Service.

Mr. Edness said he would be disclosing to the public at a Press conference next week some of the recommendations -- made after a major review of the prisons by Government officers and two Canadian Prison Service officers.

Mr. Edness said he will also be speaking about the changing role of the Prison Service from incarceration to correction.

Mr. Edness described the team's recommendations as "extremely useful'' and said "a lot of lessons have been learned'' by the review.

Mr. Edward Dyer.