Young offenders at the Co-Ed facility are making good use of their time by involving themselves in community work.

Under the guidance of physical education officer for the Co-Ed facility Vincent Minors the teenagers maintain the property of the Pembroke Rest Home, St. George's Parish Home, a few churches and help out anyone else in need of their assistance.

The idea for a community programme stemmed from a scheme devised by prison psychologist Mike Burkhead to revise the Corrective Training School's curriculum.

"Dr. Burkhead entered the male trainees in the Outward Bound and Duke of Edinburgh programmes to get them involved in positive programmes for their minds,'' Mr. Minors said.

He added: "We have since focused on community involvement.'' Mr. Minors is in charge of all recreational activities for the male trainees ages 16 to 19 years-old. These teens have been sentenced to corrective training for a period of anywhere from nine months to three years.

"I get them out and get their minds in gear. Right now the trainees are locked down and during that time I try to get them out.'' He added: "The goals they reach can't be taken away from them once they achieve them. We encourage the trainees to do positive things while they are incarcerated.'' Mr. Minors said from those specific programmes came the idea of community service work.

"The trainees help out at the Pembroke Rest Home, St. George's Rest Home, churches and whoever else is in need so they can give something back to the community.

"It's important because they have been taken off the streets and out of their homes for doing wrong. When you are incarcerated it is always good to give back to society.

"It could be their grandparents or parents in a rest home and this enables them, when they are released, to look back and know they helped someone along the way.'' Mr. Minors said since the trainees entered the Duke of Edinburgh scheme which encourages participants to work on skills, community service and an expedition -- it has worked wonders.

"Bermudian Boxer Troy Darrell came to the facility to train the boys three times a week as part of their skills requirement for the Duke of Edinburgh.

They learned to hike, camp etc.

"With these activities there are a lot less petty fights, it has brought about a lot of total positiveness for those who have participated in the programmes. It also encourages those who may not have wanted to participate before,'' Mr. Minors said.

He said the boys' participation was strictly volunteered.

"The community service programme started off as only being for Duke of Edinburgh participants but because it was so positive we have allowed all the trainees to be apart of it.

"I hear them talk about what this specific programme has done for them. The fact that they are able to get out and do things,'' Mr. Minors said. He added: "They take pride in their work especially when they see the elderly who cannot help themselves. They also like to see their work perfected.

"The other thing they enjoy is the home cooked lunch from the rest homes.'' Mr. Minors said the programme provided free labour but the establishments must provide the equipment.

"We will do all the yard work. The Corporation of St. George's supplies the tools for the St. George's Parish Home.'' Mr. Minors said the group would be spending quite a bit of time at the St.

George's Rest Home as they intended to do extensive painting on the main building.

In all of the 20 years Mr. Minors has been working in the prison system he says this (community service) is by far the most positive programme he has seen in place. "Before the Duke of Edinburgh programme, the trainees programmes were mainly internal and they might have gotten a little outing once in a while. But now, we get them out doing things that our positive for them.'' Mr. Minors added: "I have always worked with children and I feel they should always be prepared to give something back especially with the way the youth today are coming up.''