The population of Bermuda’s correctional facilities has dropped to a new low after five years of declining prison numbers according to Commissioner of Corrections, Colonel Edward Lamb.

He told The Royal Gazette that the latest figures were a testament to the work being done behind bars as well as the efforts of Government agencies in the community.

Mr Lamb also pointed to a recent drop in the recidivism rate from 24 per cent in 2013 to 19 per cent last year as further proof that programmes within Westgate, The Farm and the Co-Ed Facility were achieving their aims.

This week the number of prisoners in Westgate, where the capacity is 228, totalled 141, while The Farm housed 54 inmates and Co-Ed’s population was just 14.

“The numbers have been steadily declining for the last five years, and this is the lowest I have ever seen them and certainly the lowest in five years,” said Mr Lamb, who joined Corrections in September 2006.

“Those figures should dispel the myth that we are overcrowded.

“They indicate a combination of factors; recidivism is lower and programmes are working within Corrections. It is also a testament to the joint efforts of corrections and government agencies and the provision of alternatives to incarceration.”

Mr Lamb acknowledged that officers at Westgate had witnessed a “troubling” rise in the number of sex offenders being imprisoned recently, which had prompted new challenges.

But he insisted his staff did an excellent job in dealing with a very wide range of inmates to ensure that the correctional facility remained safe and secure.

“Each kind of offender requires different programmes,” Mr Lamb said.

“Behind these walls we don’t have gangs we have individuals.

“In 2009 people said there was going to be a war in Westgate because of the different allegiances individuals had on the outside; not only was that scaremongering, it was a foolish disservice to the way we manage people.

“We manage people using intelligence and we are sensitive to what is going on, on the outside.

“Most of our staff know these young men and that helps us to manage the flare ups.”

“Most of our staff know

“Most of our staff know these young men and that helps us to manage the flare ups.”

Westgate Chief Officer Phillip Downie told The Royal Gazette: “We try and work with the inmates and identify their needs.

“We run more programmes now than we probably ever have. We have guys in Westgate who may have associations with different gangs on the outside, but they live in the same area of the prison and they live together.

“We make it very plain that there is no space in prison for those kind of issues. You might have issues on the outside but we need to create a safe and secure environment on the inside.”