Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Ms Renee Webb has applauded a plan to have Westgate prisoners build their own halfway house.

But the Bermuda Industrial Union would have "some reservations'' about the idea proposed by Health and Social Services Minister Mr. Harry Soares, BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP said.

Ms Webb said the Progressive Labour Party had urged for some time that prisoners' skills be put to better use.

"I think it's a good idea to let them effectively utilise their time, rather than sitting around playing cards, or whatever it is they do,'' Ms Webb said.

"It would be good for them as well as the community.'' Depending on what experience they had, "I think they should also be used in other programmes,'' she said. "The prisoners are a natural labour pool that can be tapped into.'' They should be paid for their work, she said, though she could not say how much.

When asked whether she would be worried about prisoners taking work away from Bermuda's regular labour pool, Ms Webb said there would have to be "some balance'' in how prisoners were used.

Their work should not leave others unemployed, she said.

Mr. Soares said his plan to employ prisoners when an existing building was converted into a halfway house for 20 to 30 ex-convicts would create a "win-win'' situation.

A recent look at Government's capital expenditure plan, along with projects scheduled in the private sector, has raised concerns there could be a manpower shortage, he said.

"The last thing we want to do is displace any Bermudian who is willing and able to work. At the same time, I must bear in mind that the inmates need to be trained and need to work in order to re-establish their work ethic.'' And Government should help the prisoners find work when they finish their sentences, he said.

Mr. Soares was also working under a tight budget, and Government would save money on the project, as "it's not anticipated (the prisoners) would be getting paid in the normal sense of the word.'' The site for the proposed halfway house -- which Mr. Soares said was needed to help lower the high rate of prisoners who are incarcerated again after their release -- has not been disclosed.

Mr. Simmons said he supported a halfway house for prisoners because it would help stop prisoners who had paid their debt to society from being discriminated against.

"As to the prisoners making a contribution toward their future as they come out of prison, the concept of a halfway house clearly is a good one, and it should be supported by the whole community.'' But, "clearly, we don't want any programmes that are going to prejudice our members from having a job,'' Mr. Simmons said. The BIU had "quite enough people'' who could build a halfway house and would have "some reservations'' in that regard.

Another point was that prisoners could not be forced to work, Mr. Simmons said. "You can't force labour on prisoners anymore,'' he said. "That's illegal to begin with.'' If Mr. Soares had such plans, he should hold "in-depth consultations with the construction industry, and the prisoners quite frankly,'' Mr. Simmons said.

"If they just say no, it's no. That's the law.'' "Quite frankly, as far as I know, there is a halfway house already in existence at Prospect,'' Mr. Simmons said. "I really don't understand what he means by building another one. That's my biggest query.'' Mr. Soares said existing buildings at Prospect were targeted for a new residential care facility for young offenders between the ages of 12 and 17.