The Attorney-General has stated she plans to introduce several changes to Bermuda’s prison system after an independent review submitted its report looking into life on the inside.

Kim Wilkerson is expected to table the report from the standards review panel, along with the steps being taken to implement them, when the Senate resumes.

The minister visited prisoners at Westgate to hear about their experiences and collect feedback on an ongoing training programme.

She said: “It was important for me to visit Westgate again and hear directly from inmates about their experiences and concerns.”

Ms Wilkerson added: “This is not about quick fixes or appearances. It is about better understanding where the pressures are, what needs to change and making sure the Department [of Corrections] has a clear direction.”

The panel of experts from British and British Overseas Territories last October reviewed how well Westgate upheld prisoners’ rights.

Its report was finalised in March and offered several recommendations that, according to a government spokesman, the Ministry of Justice has begun to implement.

The spokesman said that Russ Crooks, the head of the International Liaison Team with HM Prison and Probation Service, visited the island last week to offer support in implementing these changes.

He added that other specialists would arrive to offer further support, such as strengthening leadership capacity in the department and reviewing staff roles.

Westgate has faced challenges for several years, including staff shortages and struggles averting contraband flow.

The head of the Prison Officers Association warned that the prison only had 145 working officers, which forced staff to perform two or three double shifts a week.

These coincided with problems such as faulty infrastructure, irregular rehabilitation programmes and prisoners with mental health challenges who failed to receive the necessary assistance.

The Government responded by launching a recruitment drive for correctional officers, which will run until April 17.

Ms Wilkerson, who has pledged to set aside $20 million for recruitment, also met with leaders of the Department of Corrections and the Prison Officers Association to better understand the struggles facing prison officers.

The Attorney-General said that she anticipated difficult work in the coming months.

She said: “The Government is under no illusion about the work required and that is why we are moving on several fronts at once.

“The standards review has given us a road map and we are acting on it.”

Ms Wilkerson added: “That includes support for continued leadership development, review of staffing arrangements, active recruitment and continued engagement with the Prison Officers Association on practical measures that support the safe and effective running of the department.”