motivational speaker visiting the three correctional facilities in Bermuda this week has urged the community to reach out to the young.

Without such help more youths will enter a life of crime ? and inmates will have no choice but to re-offend once free, said Neal Peterson.

Born during a time of racial oppression in South Africa, Mr. Peterson overcame tremendous odds to become the first black person to circumnavigate the globe on his own.

He travels the world sharing his message in the hope that his story will help change the lives of those who have "given up on themselves".

On his 30th visit to the Island this past week, Mr. Peterson spent time with inmates at the Island's three correctional facilities.

He said the attitude of the young men at the co-ed facility startled him.

"It was almost as if they had already given up on themselves," he said.

For someone who teaches and believes that in "overcoming obstacles, you become strong", this visit set off alarm bells.

He said the young men admitted they had made the wrong choices in life, but at times felt they had no choice.

"If they can just be helped to make the right choices they won't end up in these places," he said, adding that parents needed to take a more active interest in their children, their education and passing on some of this "inner strength".

Mr. Peterson said he was always amazed at how polite and "bright" Bermuda's youth were and saw much potential in them.

"It's heartbreaking to see that some have gone by the way-side," he said.

As for the "hardened criminals" in Westgate, Mr Peterson said most of them showed some kind of business potential.

"They should be helped to put these talents to use after they are released and given the opportunity to turn their lives around," he said.

However, he added that many said it was hard to pick up the pieces once they were released because they could not get jobs, could not afford to rent a place to live and were more times than not forced back into the vicious circle of crime.

Mr. Peterson said by helping them, they in turn could help teach the younger generation how to break the cycle.

"They can be working with kids and telling them about the importance of education so that they don't end up in the same situation," he said

Another way to help, was a micro-loan scheme which would help these inmates start their own businesses, which in turn would make them more responsible members of society.

In turn, they could offer employment opportunities to other rehabilitated inmates, or those in need of some direction ? as opposed to resorting to crime.

But, he warned, this would never happen unless the community became more accepting of former inmates as opposed to turning their backs on them.

"The stigma attached to being in prison means many of them will never find a job, or a place to rent and for those who are genuinely rehabilitated, if the community helped them, they could become productive members of society."

"The majority of crime in Bermuda is drug-related and perhaps the first time someone is arrested for a drug-related crime, Government should make attending a rehabilitation programme compulsory."

Mr. Peterson said substance abuse programmes would help break the cycle for many of the Island's young men before they too ended up in Westgate.

He added that the youth needed to be reminded that each choice had a consequence and if they continued making positive choices they could make a valuable contribution to society.

He praised the educational programmes offered at Westgate.

As an example of the value of books and reading, this "salty dog" taught himself not only to sail, but also to build his own yacht. The books he read and re-read as a child he still carries around with him a "treasure chest" and shares his experience of turning dreams into reality with those he speaks too. "You have to read and you have to be a life-long learner. And I always tell the kids if you can't find a book on something, go out and find out everything about that subject that you can and you write the book."

But the responsibility also lay with parents, he said, and parents not only needed to prepare their children for school, but also help to build on what the school taught them at home. Parents had to take an active role in their children's education.

Learning, he said, was an ongoing awakening experience.

As part of his visit to the Island, Mr. Peterson also shared his inspirational message with school pupils this past week, including CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute.