Prison counselling services cannot keep up with the demand for treatment by inmates. And repeat sex offenders are being released back into the community without proper counselling or follow-up treatment.

Yesterday prison psychologist and treatment service co-ordinator Dr. Derrick Binns admitted prisons lacked the manpower to cope with the huge demand for psychological and psychiatric treatment within the prisons.

"Lack of resources is the bottom line,'' he said. "It is a dilemma. There is more demand on services than we can meet. We can't meet all the needs we identify.'' Follow-up treatment was also unavailable for repeat offenders, he said.

Although the prisons had pressed for a treatment programme specifically for sex offenders likely to reoffend, the resources were simply not available.

Furthermore when prisoners left the prison gates, they were free citizens and the prison had no mandate to follow them up in any way, he said.

Sometimes demand for counselling programmes was almost ten times greater than available places.

Health and Social Services minister the Hon. Quinton Edness admitted there was no specialised counselling for sex offenders either in prison or out because of lack of funding.

Prison Services would require four more specialised staff and equipment to provide such treatment. And while he hoped to see such a programme implemented "sometime in the near future'' at present the money was simply not available in the aftermath of the recession and with other Government costs taking priority.

Westgate Correctional Facility presently employs two psychologists and nurses with some training in counselling.

Womens' Resource Centre Chairwoman Ms Toni Daniels claims treatment starting in the prisons and continuing on outside is especially crucial for repeat sex offenders just released back into the community.

At present, there is nothing, short of private counselling for ex-inmates most of whom cannot afford to pay.

"Treatment needs to start in the prisons and then ideally, a half way house and follow up after release,'' Ms Daniels said. "It has to be done that way otherwise it is totally ineffective. Without treatment they are likely to go back and reoffend.

"There is nothing outside prison for them and it's once they're out that the temptations start.'' Over the past year, the Centre has received two appeals from ex-inmates begging for help.

And although one man in particular has repeatedly contacted the Centre asking for counselling, the Centre simply did not have the resources to provide the treatment he needed, Ms Daniels said.

The need for treatment for repeat sex offenders in Bermuda has been highlighted by a recent warning from the family of a 15-year-old American girl who was attacked and sexually assaulted at Horseshoe Bay two years ago, that her attacker is now out of jail.