Public Safety Minister Paula Cox has promised a major overhaul of the prison system -- including the possible scrapping of the Co-ed Facility.

The Minister made the announcement yesterday after meeting with prison authority bosses in a bid to resolve an industrial dispute at Westgate Correctional Facility.

Prison officers began industrial action yesterday to highlight longstanding concerns over manpower shortages at the Island's three correctional facilities. During yesterday afternoon's discussions Ms Cox was unable to give prison officer representatives any firm commitment to increase the number of prison officers.

But she did convince them that, even before she became aware of the planned action last Friday, the Prison Service was on the top of her agenda for review.

And she said a major overhaul -- including the scrapping of the Co-ed Facility in St. George's -- was already something that she had been "seriously considering''. The disruptive action, in which officers are refusing to escort inmates to and from Westgate to court, will continue at least until Thursday pending a meeting of Prison Association members.

But association chairman Lynn Hall said he would be recommending that action be put on hold until fresh talks with Government are held. Although Ms Cox will be off Island for the next two weeks, she will be holding further meetings on her return.

"It was a good meeting -- cooperative and helpful,'' Ms Cox said.

"Hopefully there are some short-term issues that we can address. There are pockets of concerns and I have given them an undertaking. But as I said to them, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Talk is cheap and they have heard over the years people saying that they are going to do X or Y.

"There are some short-term issues that are being dealt with to deal with staff shortages, but the real issues are much more fundamental and it's how we deal with prison management and security and general manpower levels.'' Ms Cox added that the timing of the action was "unfortunate'' as she was already considering major changes to the system.

"We have to look at the whole question of how we manage prisons and moving away from the Co-ed Facility is something that I am seriously considering,'' she said.

Ms Cox said she would have to meet with Cabinet and the Minister of Finance before any firm plans could be developed. But Mr. Hall confirmed that the Co-ed Facility "isn't working''.

And he added that, although little had been gained from yesterday's talks, he had been impressed with the Minister and wanted to give her the opportunity to "put words into deeds''.

"It went more or less as we expected,'' he said. "We weren't expecting any major concessions, but the Minister did say that she had the matter high on her agenda and that she will be tackling it on her return from Switzerland.

"As far as the Co-ed Facility is concerned if they can't fix it, they should get rid of it.

"But we were in agreement that the whole prison is in need of review from top to bottom.

"Basically what I will do is inform my members of what has transpired and we will then take a vote to see if the action should continue.

Co-Ed Facility could be scrapped "The Minister did make assurances, but we told her that we have heard those same assurances in the past and nothing has come from them. But it's a new Government and she's a new Minister. She has said that the whole issue is a priority of hers and we just have to give her a chance to put words into deeds.

"I am sure that I will be recommending that we suspend action until our next meeting with her on her return.

"I have always been impressed with the Minister and I do trust her. But I just hope she realises that we are the experts as far as Bermuda is concerned and she needs to listen to us.''