More than 85 people from seven countries this week took part in a conference on crime and its effect on society.

And the head of Prison Fellowship International, Ron Nikkel told the crime professionals that in his travels to more than 500 prisons around the world, inmates all had in common a "desperate need to be loved by someone''.

Mr. Nikkel was speaking on Tuesday to dozens of people from Police, prisons, the Salvation Army in addition to the Senior Magistrate, the Attorney General, and members of the legal profession.

The conference, which ran from Monday to Thursday, attracted participants from the US, Cayman Islands, Canada, Bahamas, Barbados, and Peru. At least one inmate or ex-offender participated in each workshop.

Mr. Nikkel said that for most inmates their family relationships had broken down and for those inmates who wanted to change their lives would readily accept the love of Jesus Christ.

Head of Prison Fellowship Bermuda Jack Harris said the workshops were expected to answer such questions as whether the $50 million spent on criminals is sound.

Other topics included what the overall effect of crime was on Bermuda and what made the most effective rehabilitation programmes.

Mr. Harris led a workshop, "Targeting Success Programme'' in which it was decided that young people should be targeted before they become "at risk''.

He added the conference would not have been a success without the sponsorship of the Exel Foundation.

He said that between $40,000 and $50,000 is spent annually to imprison each person in Bermuda.

"We spend twice as much as the Americans on them,'' he said. "We are losing $12 million to crime and spending $15 million to punish it.'' OPINIONS UNITED -- At the Prison Fellowship International Conference, delegates Ron Nikkel, Steve Varnham and Akliu Tadesse discuss ways of dealing with offenders.