Bermuda's Prison officers are set to benefit from a new link-up with their opposite numbers in Canada.

And officers on the Island are set to get special training in hostage negotiation and riot control from an expert from the Canadian Correctional Service later this year.

In addition, Bermudian and Canadian officers will take part in an exchange scheme -- at no cost to either Government.

And today Canadian Correctional Services Commissioner Ole Ingstrup and Commissioner of Prisons Ed Dyer will sign a new deal guaranteeing closer ties between the two organisations.

Mr. Dyer said: "Bermuda is a fairly isolated place and in order to keep up with progress around the world, we need to liaise with other places.

"If you try to give people the whole experience in Bermuda, they do lose out because in a bigger country you get a bigger exposure in a shorter period of time.'' He added: "For example, if you look at the way they address certain offenders, there is considerable concentration on the reason why they offended.

"This is not at the cost of other programmes, like literacy, but we have just started our sex offenders programme and they have had them for years.

Mr. Dyer stressed that Bermuda had already moved to rehabilitation -- but added that the Island could benefit from longer Canadian experience in treatment, for drugs and alcohol as well as sex crimes.

But he pointed out: "We're both basically going in the same direction, although they're considerably ahead of us in some areas.'' Mr. Dyer said that the exchange scheme meant both sides would carry their own costs.

He added: "It's really a very good arrangement as far as we can see -- we have had contacts for many years, but we've decided to formalise them.'' A senior member of the Canadian Service has been in Bermuda for some time, advising on training and organisation.

But the new deal -- the Memorandum of Understanding -- will allow Bermuda and Canada to develop an annual training and exchange plan for officers.

And joint seminars, as well as an exchange on technical and programme information will also take place.

Mr. Dyer said the Bermuda Prison Service traditionally had strong links with the British Prison Service -- but that the distances involved and the cost of sending officers to Britain were large compared to Canada.

He added that training in the US was not appropriate because of legal differences between the Island and America.

But he said: "Canada has the same legal base as Bermuda, so it's appropriate to look at where they're going.'' Mr. Ingstrup yesterday met Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox and Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay, as well as chairman of the Treatment of Offenders Board Austin Thomas, board members and Civil Servants to discuss the new plan.