alcohol are readily available inside prison continue to be expressed. Some of these complaints are coming from former inmates who could have scores to settle with the prison system, however it does seem to us that there are too many complaints of a specific nature. As the saying goes, we have to wonder if where there is so much smoke there is also fire.

Serious doubt has now been cast on the Ministry of Health's ability to run the prisons in a way which can both protect the public and provide rehabilitation for Bermudians, especially young Bermudians.

The Minister of Health has said that it is difficult to control drugs in prison. We find it hard to believe that drugs cannot be controlled in a lock up situation in a new "state of the art'' prison. If we cannot control the flow of drugs into prison, we can never hope to control the flow into Bermuda.

We are well aware that there are Bermudians who strongly advocate the punishment of prisoners. One anonymous person has been quoted as telling a Paget East "Town Hall'' meeting on Wednesday evening that "The Bermudian people are fed up with a lack of punishment against these people''. He also advocated making prisoners work on the roads in bright pink jumpsuits and ankle chains! But he said one other very interesting thing. He said too many criminals come out of "holiday camp'' looking better than when they went in and then commit crimes straight away. It is certainly true that far too many people come out of prison and re-offend.

We believe that the lack of rehabilitation in prison is a contributing factor in those crimes which are "committed straight away'' after a person leaves prison. That is the problem. Simply locking people away in a prison too often breeds crime. Young people learn crime in prison just as if it were a school and they often learn from experts. If those who are complaining are to be believed, young people can also learn about hard drugs in prison.

The only solution for people who come out of prison and re-offend is meaningful rehabilitation. First of all, it can and will decrease crime. That in itself is protection for the public. If we return to the public an angry inmate who is unrehabilitated and has learned more criminal behaviour in prison and who is likely to "commit crimes straight away'' we are only endangering the public. It is also fair to say that it costs the public less to rehabilitate an offender who then remains out of prison than it does to constantly rearrest and reincarcerate people through a revolving door.

Think about it. The costs are not only prison costs but the high cost of detecting a criminal and then the cost of a trial and of legal aid.

Bermuda was promised that the very expensive new West Gate Correctional Facility and rehabilitation would go hand in hand. So far it does not seem to be a reality and it must become a reality. Government must not bend to those who advocate ankle chains or corporal punishment or who want to "lock them up and throw the key away''.

The only long term solution is rehabilitation. The alternative is a prison which trains criminals and returns to the public people who are angry and determined to seek revenge on "the system'' and almost certain to be returned to prison once again.