espite Government's renewed pledge to boost prison programmes one could forgive corrections officers for scepticism.As Prison officers union leader Craig Clarke knows all too well however sincere the politicians are — they often don't stay long enough to see the job through.

There have been five different Public Safety ministers over a five-year period from 2001 to last year.

"It takes a while for a minister to understand the intricacies of the issues."

But as soon as familiarity had been established the minister was gone said Mr. Clarke.

"We end up going back over the same issues. If we had continuity with the same minister as opposed to all the changes we would be much further along with the department of corrections."

It's been the same with Prison's Commissioners with Bermuda about to get a new one this year — the fifth in six years.

No wonder this led officers to feel like they are the ugly sister of Bermuda's criminal justice system.

The service will undergo more change with the early departure of Bryan Payling who will leave at the end of April — several months short of his one-year contract.

Mr. Payling at least has been a ray of hope said Mr. Clarke who urged his successor — the former Regiment Commanding Officer Eddie Lamb — to pick up where he left off.

"I think Mr. Payling did the department justice by coming here. He has championed the cause of the POA more so than many commissioners before him.

"He brought a wealth of knowledge to the department and took a lot of our issues to the Ministry. I wish him all the best when he leaves on April 30."

Mr. Clarke said Mr. Payling had started the ball rolling on succession planning by surveying people who wanted to advance.

The issue had been high on the list agreed by the Board of Inquiry in 2001.

"It is only unfortunate that Mr. Payling will not be here to finish it. We have started to look at people who could be put forward."

Prison officers hope one day the Commissioner would come up through the ranks just like in other services.

And they are still sore that overseas training was granted for commissioner designate Eddie Lamb after being denied for other senior staff for years.

"At least give them an experience for six months to one year. We are still fighting that issue now.

"If they can do it for one they must do it for the rest of the senior staff. Give them all a understanding of how a proper corrections regime should run.

"It boggles the mind they can train someone from the outside — and that's nothing against Mr. Lamb — but we have asked for many, many years to train our people overseas.

"When it suits the needs of Government they can do it for Mr. Lamb — it's unjust, it's unfair."

And he said it was unfair to push Mr. Lamb into the hotseat with so few months of training.

"I take nothing away from him. He probably has the ability. But when we look at what we are losing with Mr. Payling we are looking years of experience then to turn around and turn over the department to a gentlemen who only has about four months?"

He urged Mr Lamb to carry on with Mr. Payling's strategy.

"What you find in corrections is one commissioner may start something and then another one comes with a different grain of thinking. If Mr. Lamb was wise he would go along with the mission Mr. Payling started."Mr. Clarke backed Mr. Payling's incentives and earned privileges programme — which restricts entitlements if inmates are not co-operating by going on programmes — which will be unrolled in the coming months."It's the only way to run a proper corrections regime. Inmates have to understand if they are not doing class and not working or involved in any recognised programme they don't have a right to be out of a cell and have all the privileges.

"That is one of the reason's recidivism is over 80 percent because inmates feel they can come to prison and do exactly what they like."

But despite the problems there have been successes with minimal violence in 2006. Regular searches have given officers more control.

"We do some things well. Officers are doing a sterling job. We are cracking down."

Interdiction has been stepped up with more drugs being stopped from getting in.

Now only a minuscule amount of inmates are testing positive which he hopes will go some way to nailing the myth that Westgate is awash with drugs.

The problem was when inmates with drug problems left. "It's OK to treat someone within the walls but what happens when they leave. We need aftercare programmes put in place."

Helping prisoners make it on the outside could ease the burden on overworked prison officers coping with those that come straight back. But years after it was promised they are said to be still waiting for electronic tagging which would be ideal for civil debtors to work off their debt on the outside while tabs were kept on them.

"If a person is locked up the child is still not eating. By the time he gets down the prison farm after spending a few weeks up at Westgate the debt is still rising.

"It could go a long way to say instead of locking you up I will put this tag on you.

"It might seem inhumane to some but you need to be at home at this time."

The POA are scheduled to have a meeting with the latest Public Safety Minister — David Burch.It's clear officers will have plenty to say."We have always been treated as the step child of the uniformed services. We want equal billing.

"It seems like the Police always get the tools to do the job. But on the back end of the criminal justice system resources are not made readily available."

Mr. Clarke said his members were using clapped out out vehicles "which in most instances has been condemned by a mechanic. But for some reason they are still on the road.

"A lot of vehicles are breaking down. They are not safe. A lot of vehicles are over 20 years old."

"If Government doesn't wish to change those vehicles some action will have to be taken because then it becomes a health and safety issue for my officers and even for the inmates to be transported in those vehicles."

The budget is coming around and once again corrections are on the political agenda.

"As far as I know he was the first Premier ever to have a Cabinet meeting inside a prison. That's a good thing. It means he's concerned.

"Hopefully he will deliver."