Dr. James Buccigross did not think twice about leaving a career in Ohio take up the challenging position of Forensic Clinical Psychologist at Westgate.

A man with 20 years of experience working in correctional facilities, he sees the drug problems within Bermuda's prisons as being small compared to what he was used to. He believes the programme being introduced by Kuni Frith-Black can work and meet with great success within the prison. "It's an innovative programme and is being used in some of the larger districts in the US; Las Vegas, Dade County, Florida, Texas and Oregon by governmental entities," explained Dr. Buccigross of the Alternative Substance Abuse Programme.

Dr. Buccigross had worked for the state of Ohio for almost 20 years and even held a position as Deputy Warden at one point and worked in both juvenile and adult systems. He recognises the magnitude of the drug problems within both the prisons and the community at large.

"I've been here since February and one of the reasons I came to Bermuda was because I saw the potential here," said Dr. Buccigross. "I came from a system where the state of Ohio had 50,000 in the prison system and the prison I worked at had 1,700. Directly across the street was another prison with another 2,000 and the numbers overwhelmed you, you couldn't do anything. Plus the budget was a mess and they kept cutting and cutting and cutting.

"Essentially it was becoming a warehouse situation. Everybody gets bent out of shape when we're up to 200 at Westgate, but I look at 200 and think `terrific'.

"By comparison Bermuda is in an enviable position to deal with the problem, if they can expand on Mrs. Frith-Black's programme. Our budget here is a very good budget."

Added Dr. Buccigross: "There is a great deal of literature that suggests that there is a basic biological drive, not just in humans but all creatures, to want to change their consciousness but whatever means.

"I don't think anybody knows the meaning of that but it can be demonstrated experimentally with monkeys which will press a button for a shot of cocaine until they are dead. They will go for whatever will alter their consciousness. If you are tied into a biological drive you have to hit the biological end of it.

"Kuni using acupuncture is the first thing that gets at it other than using a drug to fight a drug. This is a different way."

How successful each participant of the programme will be determined by how they can cope on the outside, when they return to the environment they left behind.

"We try to go with guys doing nine months and over because they can complete the programme," he explained.

"This is a unique programme but we don't have anything to seamlessly transition them into the community to continue it. But anytime you have an innovative programme it is like that in the beginning, that's only natural.

"This programme is excellent and Kuni puts her heart and soul into it and it shows in her success with the guys. The programme doesn't exist anywhere else on the Island, she is the expert on the Island and she is training someone to help out so that we can expand what we can do here.

"There has been talk of looking into something in the community, and Kuni has been consulted with, and I would like to see that happen."

Dr. Buccigross believes the drug problem worldwide is getting worse and that Bermuda will mirror the rest of the world.

"The drug stuff is so pervasive and drugs get into facilities no matter how much you try," he warns.

Bermuda's maximum security prison is no different in that respect.

"We're trying to stem the tide of drugs in here and time will show how successful that will be," said Dr. Buccigross who noted that the ION Scanner and the drug dogs are two key weapons in the fight to keep drugs out of the prisons.

"By comparison Bermuda is in an enviable position to deal with the problem and we're trying to put things in place to do just that. Back home what kills us is the sheer numbers, but here you have potential.

`Back home I was used to getting cursed out, but here I would have somebody say I hurt their feelings. You have individuals in here more socialised.

"Back home I wouldn't even talk about rehabilitation, I talk about habilitation first. Here, you have guys who have an upbringing and have a basis to work from. I'm not starting from scratch, which is a major thing to point out."