difference to crime on the Island.

Government believes that rehabilitation and education of prisoners in the $40 million establishment will mean fewer cases of re-offending on release.

Minister of Works and Engineering the Hon. Clarence Terceira said: "If it is a success it will be worth the money and an example to the rest of the world.'' Contractors Sea-Land Construction say the prison is on schedule for completion on October 1 when the training programme for prison officers begins. More than 100 workers have been striving for 22 months so far, but the end is now in sight.

Dr. Terceira was inspecting the site in Dockyard, yesterday, and said building work would be completed and the prison would be furnished on time.

And he said that the most important part of the sprawling new establishment will be the educational facilities and the workshops.

The prison is being built as a replacement for the outdated Casemates Prison which was built in 1830, on a neighbouring site.

It will house a maximum of 222 inmates in single cells, with separate areas for remand, high security and segregated prisoners. Each area has its own control room where officers can watch their own area containing up to 48 prisoners.

Furnishings in cells depends on the grade of prisoner, with remand prisoners having porcelain sinks and writing desks, while everything in the secure cells is metal.

Remand prisoners have their own dining area while most other prisoners will eat in the main dining room. Cooking will be done by prisoners under supervision of officers in the kitchen.

There will be an extensive library, a computer room, classrooms, workshops and a lecture theatre, which will double as a chapel. There are also rooms for consultation with psychologists and social workers.

Just before prisoners are to be released they will be put into a centre outside the 14 foot prison walls where they will be slowly reintroduced to normal life, returning to their cells at night.

The majority of visitors to the new prison will go into a special communal lounge which allows families to take children along. However maximum security prisoners will still be made to sit in small, specially adapted rooms and only be allowed to speak through grills.

While most of the prison is made up of hi-tech lighting, surveillance equipment and automatic locks on doors, the designers have not forgotten the basics.

In the laundry room there are two huge washing machines capable of carrying loads of 125 pounds and 80 pounds of washing with spin driers with a 40-pound capacity. Each prisoner's washing will be tied up in a netting bag so it cannot become mixed with that of other inmates.

Although Dr. Terceira stressed that he will not be involved in the prison once the Commissioner of Prisons, Mr. Edward Dyer takes over, he defended the cost of the establishment.

Replying to a question that many people may see the prison as almost hotel-like in its facilities Dr. Terceira said: "It is a first class type of prison.

"I certainly believe, as do the prison officers and the Minister of Health and Social Services, that it will produce people who are able to rejoin society.

"I am sure it will be envied by the rest of the world and will show some encouraging results in educating people and teaching them a trade so they will not re-offend when they are out. The emphasis is on education and rehabilitation.

"Also people tend to forget about the prison staff and about how difficult it has been for them to work in Casemates in terrible conditions.

"Conditions are better but so are the security aspects. This Government and this society have a responsibility to the people in there. It will be much better if we get people coming out into society who are not going to burglarise your home.'' PRISON COLONY -- The new prison nears completion.

CLOSE CONTACT -- The Hon. Clarence Terceira shows how secure prisoners will be able to talk to their families in the new prison.