The issue of whether to publicise the impending release of sex offenders would best be handled on a case-by-case approach.

This comes from one of the Island's two prison psychologists who have publicly remained silent on the cotroversial issue.

In recent weeks there has been a flurry of debate on whether the public should be notified when sex offenders are released from prison.

Prison psychologist Dr. Christopher Snyder, who works daily with the prisoners in question, yesterday told The Royal Gazette that the community's safety always had to be the first concern of officials.

Dr. Snyder arrived on the Island in the autumn of 1996 and implemented the institutional portion of a sex offenders management programme last June at the Westgate Correctional Facility.

He yesterday said that there were pros and cons to notifying the public about the upcoming release of a sex offender.

And he suggested handling the delicate issue on a case by case approach.

Dr. Snyder said the community would be best served to be notified of a sex offender's release if the perpetrator was in denial about their problem, refused treatment and was deemed to be at a high risk of re offending.

But if the prisoner had accepted that what they did was wrong, sought and received treatment and was making attempts and succeeding at changing their behaviour, he said that notification could be disastrous.

"By notifying the public you could be disestablishing them, ruin opportunities for the person to find employment and put them at a high risk of re offending,'' he explained. "They will become an increased risk for the community.'' Dr. Snyder stressed that a case by case basis was the best way to deal with the dilemma.

"Most jurisdictions do this,'' he said. "They have a wide range of options available to them and conduct case-by-case analysis.'' And Dr. Snyder confirmed Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Renee Webb's recent comments in the House of Assembly reminding the public not to develop a false sense of security as result of the implementation of the sex offenders programme.

Ms Webb pointed out that there was still a high rate of recidivism for offenders despite obtaining treatment from the sex offenders programme.

Dr. Snyder said the overall management of sex offenders -- which includes treatment, community notification, and supervision of offenders who are out in the community -- would have an overall reduction in recidivism.

But he said it was hard to come up with numbers on rehabilitation since there were so many variables to consider.

Dr. Snyder estimated that the current sex offenders programme at the Westgate Correctional Facility reduced the risk of re-offending by anywhere from 40 to 60 percent.

"All sex offenders management programmes aim for reduction,'' he added. "But they can't totally eliminate the risk.'' Dr. Snyder said a community based sex offenders programmes -- which carry on the work started in prison -- were just as important as the institutional treatment in reducing the risk of recidivism.

"When an offender is released and if they have not been able to finish the institutional treatment programme, they can do so when they are on the outside,'' he said.