Government has shut the temporary civil prison in Southside in St. David's.

Acting Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Senator David Burch said it was the fulfilment of a promise that the inmates would not be there longer than 18 months.

The remaining eight inmates will be moved to the prison farm.

The measure had been taken in April last year after the Prison Officer's Association raised concerns about overcrowding at Westgate.

More than 30 inmates had been held at Southside during the peak of the overcrowding crisis.

The move also sparked worry among St. David's residents who feared criminals would be lurking in the neighbourhood after returning from work release programmes.

However only men convicted for non-payment of fines or child support were held at the building.

Local MP the Rev. Wilbur Lowe said there had been no major incidents between residents and prisoners.

He said: “We are very pleased it's worked out.”

Sen. Burch praised magistrate Carlisle Greaves for coming up with imaginative ways to recover civil debt and cut inmate numbers.

“As a result of that we don't have to incarcerate as many people,” he said.

Sen. Burch said Government's Alternatives to Incarceration initiative was also beginning to cut prison numbers slightly.

But he added it had yet to make substantial inroads into the Island's high recidivism rate.

He said: “It's early days yet.'

Sen. Burch said there were no official plans for what would happen to the vacated Southside building.