Drug abuse at the Prison Farm has reached sky-high proportions, Prisons watchdogs warned yesterday.

And they added that it seems "extremely difficult'' to keep drugs out of Westgate Correctional Facility.

Now watchdogs are calling for the use of special drug sniffer dogs in a bid to give new teeth to the anti-drugs drive in the prison system.

A new report said: "We regret to report that the problem is virtually out of hand at the Prison Farm.

"Unlike Westgate, this is a minimum security facility and many inmates feel they can ignore the rules whenever they wish and engage in their drug activity with impunity.

"This is very sad because in many cases these inmates have earned or are close to the point when they can be recommended for work release.'' But the report added: "It is our understanding that it is not as difficult as we have been told to use drug sniffing dogs in the prisons.

"We once again recommend them on a random-use basis and unannounced -- we have been told if it was known that a dog was in the prison at certain times, you would hear the toilets being flushed.

"Whatever it takes, we must tackle this problem seriously so that we are seen to be serious about controlling it, especially within our prisons.'' The grim news came in the annual report of the Treatment of Offenders Board, tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday.

The report added that -- in line with last year -- discipline and respect for authority were declining and violence was increasing in the community, which is reflected in the prison population.

The report said: "Clearly, this is a condition which a small community like Bermuda cannot afford to ignore without reaping serious consequences.'' And it called for the use of non-custodial sentencing, like UK-style community service orders, as an alternative to jail.

The Board also recommended that prisoners with trades should be allowed to practise them by helping to maintain prison system property.

And the report dismissed claims that Works and Engineering Ministry employees would be done out of jobs by using prisoners.

The report also called for prisoners to take advantage of educational and counselling programmes for offenders jailed for sex crimes or violence.

The Board said: "Too many inmates do not recognise that there is virtually no place in the workforce for unskilled people who are ex-inmates.

Prison report tabled "Those who give up in the face of unemployment return to their former company, environment, habits and become a part of the revolving door syndrome.'' And the report said: "The Cognitive Intervention, Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders Programmes are absolutely important in addressing the problems of those for whom these programmes are designed and recommended.'' Delivering the report to MPs, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox said the recent inspection of the state of the prisons had confirmed her view that more could be done to rehabilitate offenders.

And she added that -- although Westgate had top-class buildings -- opportunities to use them for rehab work had in the past been "badly neglected and under-resourced''.

She also said she was "greatly concerned'' about the extent of drug abuse by prison inmates.

But Ms Cox warned: "I wish to assure the House that steps are being taken to address this problem.

"And although, for obvious reasons, I cannot disclose precisely how this will happen, I can state with certainty that I am determined to eliminate this problem and there has been collaboration between the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of Prisons to achieve this.'' Ms Cox added: "Indeed, if we do not do this, all our efforts to provide rehabilitation programmes will amount to very little and we will continue to experience an unacceptably high rate of recidivism.