system should be in Government's hands next week.

Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness made the announcement in the House of Assembly yesterday.

He said Government would be tabling the report in the House -- and try to have it debated as soon as possible.

"It will undoubtedly contribute to the beginning of far-reaching change in this country. It may well set the tone for this change,'' said Mr. Edness.

Judge Tumim is Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales.

He carried out a review this summer of Bermuda's much-criticised criminal justice system.

A draft report was given to Government several weeks ago, but was said to have contained some inaccuracies.

Mr. Edness yesterday outlined Government's reasons for launching the review.

It was thought high time a critical look was taken to see if historical racism lingered in Bermuda's laws from bygone days.

"The Government is concerned very deeply that too many people are being sent to prison in this Country, and that too many of those people become lifelong clients, as it were, of the system.

"We live in one of the most fortunate countries in the world. It seemed difficult to believe that this high prison population is simply one of the prices we must pay for our success, and the Government is willing to assume this must be the case.'' Mr. Edness said Government preferred emphasis on correction, rather than custody.

"We have begun, in the prison system, to work towards that end. But to confine our work to the prisons would be, we are sure, to ignore that problem.

"We must begin to look very carefully at why people end up in prison in the first place.'' Mr. Edness stressed Government did not believe the Country's criminal justice system could be mended at the stroke of a pen.

And he urged the community to prepare to change its attitudes to criminality.

"At the very least, Bermudians must understand that criminality is not a problem for the Government, or for the public service, or for the Police and prison services to deal with -- it is a problem for all of us to grapple with as a community.'' Mr. Edness said he hoped MPs would debate the Tumim report in the interests of the community, and not for political gain.