The Alternatives To Incarceration (ATI) initiatives are working according to Health Minster Patrice Minors.

Programmes such as Camp Spirit, a 90-day residential facility for drug addicts, and Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre (BARC), the treatment facility that gives options for treatment for drug addicts, are successful.

?This initiative provides individuals the opportunity to break the revolving door cycle and acts as the catalyst for positive lifestyle changes,? Mrs. Minors said.

Statistics showed that between January and June, six Drug Treatment Court clients received services at Camp Spirit and 49 Drug Treatment Court client reports were filed, she said.

The Drug Treatment Court, she said, has an 80 percent compliance rate and she added that with continued cooperation from all agencies they would be able to reach 100 percent compliance rate.

Since April 2002, BARC has handled 215 cases after being transferred to the Department of Court Services to be aligned with ATI.

Mrs. Minors said: ?I am pleased to report that the Department of Court Service is now providing the court ordered reports at record levels of efficiency; in some cases within 14 days of the order being made.?

Currently, officers are engaging in training for certification for the Sex Offender Programme because under the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2000 a convicted sex offender can be supervised for up to ten years, she said.

And under her Ministry, frontline probation officer posts and managerial posts are being recruited so the courts are confident when applying for community service order so they can be monitored and enforced.

?This government made a commitment to this initiative and I am pleased to say that is successes demonstrate that we are right on track and with the all-important support of the courts, the treatment community and the public at large we will break the cycle of recidivism that so plagues this community,? she said.