which paves the way for a massive shake-up of the prison service.

Selecting prisoners for work programmes will be drastically changed under the overhaul.

Violent criminals will now be barred from all day release work programmes.

Those deemed a maximum security risk, including murderers, will be banned even under escort.

And prisoners rejected for parole can only enter a pre-release scheme after talks between the Prisons Commissioner and Government.

Work programmes were suspended after the alleged murder of German tourist Antja Herkommer at a programme work site.

Yesterday, however, Government announced it was lifting its suspension of all work programmes.

Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness made the announcement at a news conference on the prison report.

"I have made the decision they can start again,'' he said.

At the conference were Mr. Edness; Minister of Information and Management Services the Hon. Michael Winfield; Prisons Commissioner-elect Mr. Edward Dyer; and Prison psychologist Dr. Derrick Binns.

The report on Bermuda's prison service has been considered and accepted by Government.

It was conducted by two executives of the Correctional Service of Canada, a senior local Prison Officer and an officer of the Management Services department.

Sen. Winfield said work was already underway to implement the recommendations.

But adopting all of them will take time because many depended on next year's move to the new prison.

He stressed it was not a public document, and did not point fingers over Troy Shorter's escape or the Luscious Lollipops affair.

However, Mr. Edness revealed the report had contained powerful criticism of Casemates.

It claimed security at Bermuda's maximum security prison was slipping.

"The report did warn us that we were allowing Casemates to deteriorate in condition and standard of security by failing to adequately maintain what is there.

"Government has accepted that even though the move is little more than a year away, adequate maintenance must be performed,'' he said.

Mr. Edness, who ruled out hiring more prison staff, said the report pinpointed areas where procedures could be changed or amended to improve security.

These included: A new inmate classification system to help ensure eligibility for day release work programmes was restricted to those not considered a maximum security risk; Improved search procedures for returning prisoners and for visitors; Separation of escort duty from normal prison operations which will ensure physical security of Casemates is not compromised; and A new system of staff shifts to ensure prison officers are able to rest between shifts.

Mr. Edness said, under the new system for day release programmes, inmates would be graded minimum, medium, and maximum security risks.

"The basis for the classification is a combination of two factors. First, whether the prisoner is likely to escape if given the opportunity to do so.

Second, whether the prisoner would commit a crime of violence if he or she did escape.

"Only minimum security prisoners will be allowed to participate in day release work programmes unsupervised. Medium security prisoners who are not considered dangerous will be allowed to participate only if they are escorted.

Maximum security prisoners will not be allowed on work release programmes at all, whether escorted or not.'' Mr. Edness said it would be possible for prisoners to be periodically reclassified.

This would mean a convicted murderer could become eligible for work outside a prison.

Mr. Dyer said the focus in future would be on rehabilitation and training prison staff to cut down the current 70 percent rate of recidivism.