shake-up of Bermuda's prisons.

The overhaul is expected to take up to three years to complete.

Health and Social Services Minister Clarence Terceira said he hoped the consultant would be hired by early summer.

"We are looking at Canada because we don't know of a Bermudian who is suitably qualified at this stage,'' he told The Royal Gazette .

"Canada has helped us a lot in the past, particularly with our parole system.'' He added: "We are hoping to find someone who has experience with modern day prisons.'' Dr. Terceira said the consultant would help put into force proposals by Canadian firm, PRET Inc., which reviewed the prisons.

In the House of Assembly on Friday, Dr. Terceira also announced: A first-ever prisons programme for sex offenders; A half-way house for prisoners, which would probably be up and running in the mid-to-late summer; and $53,000 had been provided for minor capital works at the prisons during 1997/98.

PRET released a report on Bermuda's prisons last July. In it, the firm delivered a scathing assessment of management, staffing procedures and security operations.

It claimed the transition from the old correctional mode of Casemates to Westgate was badly planned and executed.

And it branded the state of facilities and equipment at the East End Prison Farm and Co-Ed Facility rather poor, claiming the condition of many inmate and staff furnishings was unacceptable.

The report said staff didn't have personal portable alarms, visibility was inadequate, surveillance equipment was non-existent, and even radios did not work.

It also criticised equipment at Westgate, saying there was no internal video surveillance.

Maximum security procedures and staff training also came under fire.

A major part of the staffing problem, according to the PRET analysis, was staff entitlement to scheduled and unscheduled days off. The study concluded the pattern of unscheduled days off turned staffing into a "roulette game,'' where a typical officer was "probably not available for work for 63.5 of the 261 paid days of the year''.

Dr. Terceira told The Royal Gazette : "We really need the consultant to assist us with new scheduling and redeployment of staff.

"We also want to reorganise the hierarchy of prisons. A lot of work needs to be done.'' Dr. Terceira said some improvements had already been carried out.

"We've tightened up security as far as stopping contraband going into the prisons is concerned and we have also beefed up the electronic system of security.

"In addition, we've added a number of cameras in strategic areas, so we have a better security system all round.'' During the House's Budget debate on the estimates for the Health and Social Services, Dr. Terceira said the overhaul of the prisons would take up to three years because of "resource constraints''.

He also told MPs prison staff had been under pressure.

"The increasing number of prison inmates, high recidivism rates and the more aggressive behaviour of many of the inmates have been a major concern and have placed undue stress on prison staff.'' This had prompted the hiring of PRET to carry out a comprehensive review, he explained.

Canadian to sort out prisons "As a result of the review, actions will be taken to address a broad range of issues, including the efficient deployment of staff, the organisational structure of the department, security, and rehabilitation needs.'' Dr. Terceira said a plan to put into force the recommendations contained in the consultant's report had been developed.

"However, although certain of the recommendations have already been acted upon, due to resource constraints, the plan will take approximately two to three years to fully implement.'' Dr. Terceira said the report's recommendations would continue to be put into place in 1997/98.

"In addition, a prison consultant, who will be experienced in the operation of modern prison facilities, will be hired to assist the Commissioner of Prisons in implementing the recommendations.'' Dr. Terceira told The Royal Gazette the sex offenders programme was now in place.

"We have two prison psychologists who are very experienced and have expertise in the treatment of sex offenders. They also have expertise in anger management.

"One came from Wisconsin the other from North Carolina. They are very good in assessing prisoners.''