Government patted itself on the back for implementing the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme during debate in the House of Assembly on Friday.

And for the first time the ruling party responded to criticism over the delayed implementation of the parole board, saying many of the prisoners that would have been up for parole disqualified themselves from a hearing by refusing to take a drugs test.

Backbencher Wayne Perinchief speaking on his colleague's Neletha Butterfield's motion that the House endorse the programme, said that the parole board system was part and parcel of the ATI programme and brought Bermuda in line with the practice in other places.

"The parole board is now firmly in place and there have been some early releases," he said.

The board was meant to be operational in October after legislation was passed by the House of Assembly last year. But delays occurred with training its members which meant that a number of prisoners who should have been up for parole did not have their cases heard.

"We found that in fact after some investigation, many of the people awaiting pre-release were not willing to do things like undergo drugs testing before they could come before the parole board," Mr. Perinchief said.

"That eliminated many of them. They knew they hadn't satisfied the basic criteria for pre-release." He added that some prisoners decided they would rather complete their full terms rather than go before the parole board.

"I would hope the people who cast aspersions on the parole board would take that into consideration. Nobody served longer sentences than they would have served."

Mr. Perinchief said that the rigorous checks in the parole system showed that characterisations of ATI as a "soft" approach to crime were "balderdash".

He added that while drug users can benefit from the ATI programme which gives them a chance to get clean, drug dealers are sent to jail when convicted. "They are not given any alternatives to prison."

Victims of crime are also taken into account under the ATI regime, he pointed out. "For the first time we talk about restitution and reparations which have never, ever been implemented in this country. Victims have never been paid back. We've seen things like victim statements - there have been a lot of salient and pertinent features put into the criminal justice system."

Mr. Perinchief praised everyone who gave spiritual and financial support to ATI programmes. And said that ATI was a constantly evolving process.

In his contribution to the debate, Government backbencher Stanley Morton said that there were many possible causes to deviant behaviour, including discrimination, employment practices and "bad habits" in a family unit.

"When you breed this type of behaviour it leads to the worst type of reaction," including terrorism, he said.