including driving while disqualified and breaking and entering, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Prison statistics obtained by the newspaper also show that one third of the 456 people incarcerated between January 1 and May 31 were there for crimes against property.

Just under 13 percent had committed traffic offences.

Of the 456 imprisoned -- from Casemates in Dockyard to the Co-Educational Facility in St. George's -- 153 were serving time for property offences, ranging from breaking and entering (37) to forgery (nine).

A total of 57 were locked up for traffic offences, including 30 for driving while disqualified, six for speeding, five for driving without a licence, five for driving without insurance, and two for driving without due care.

Prisoners serving time for crimes against persons totalled 98, with 17 in for rape, 16 for assault, 11 for murder, and three for wandering abroad.

One hundred and twenty one were locked away for drug offences, eight for civil offences -- including those with unpaid debts -- and 21 others including five for failure to attend military parades.

Last week Prison Commissioner Mr. Edward Dyer said: "I believe we unnecessarily lock up persons for reasons where perhaps alternatives would be more appropriate''.

And recently Judge Stephen Tumim, chairman of the criminal justice system review team, suggested the percentage of prisoners serving time for traffic and other minor offences was uncommonly high.

"In very few places do you get a prison sentence for those offences,'' Judge Tumim said.

"It is not my business whether Bermuda wants to continue the high rate,'' he added, "but it is my business to give advice to the Government of Bermuda on ways to keep people out of prison.

"Otherwise going to prison will not be regarded with shame or embarrassment but simply as part of the educational process, And then we might as well give up on the system because it's a waste of money.'' However, Judge Tumim stressed the review team cannot afford to recommend anything to allow dangerous offenders out on the street. And he said the offence of wandering abroad is something to be looked at "very closely'' because of the importance of tourism to Bermuda.

Commenting on the May-to-June figures, Social Services Minister the Hon.

Quinton Edness said: "It is this kind of thing we're trying to investigate now with the criminal justice system review.

"We're trying to see if these types of offences (property, traffic and civil offences) can be dealt with differently besides prison.'' Mr. Edness said many of the breaking and entering offences were believed to be drug related.

He said he was particularly concerned about the number of people in prison for traffic offences.

He noted that many of those locked up for civil offences were there because of unpaid child support. People in prison for traffic offences was primarily due to contempt of court -- such as persistent driving while disqualified.

"It is this area that we feel something definitely has to be done,'' he said.

He also noted that the incarcerated population were "substantially'' black and of one class.

"Our community should be concerned,'' Mr. Edness said.

Mr. Edness said Government commissioned the criminal justice system review to look at, among other things, whether the system is treating one class of people differently than others.

"We need answers to the questions that all these statistics raise,'' he said.

"When we're able to answer why we have so many people in prison for such minor offences and one race and one class, this community will have found a way to reduce crime and recidivism.''