cannot be a single member of the public left in Bermuda who has any confidence in the system or in the way it is being run. There is a crisis of public confidence.

Commissioner of Prisons Mr. Milton Pringle has said, "We want to have a look at the whole structure.'' He should have done that months ago because he is, after all, in control of the prison system.

Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, who has responsibility for prisons, has said, "An effective and efficient prison system is an integral part of Bermuda's criminal justice system and it is imperative, therefore, that that system has the confidence of the community.'' We agree that it is imperative and right now the public has zero confidence in the system.

The public lost confidence in the system months ago and was promised that a review was being carried out. It settled for that, but reluctantly. The public is now promised a second review to "piggy-back'' with the review now, supposedly, being carried out. The second review, it seems, is to be carried out by an overseas expert who, when found, will have "extensive experience in the criminal field.'' That, of course, is what those carrying out the first review were supposed to have. Mr. Edness says he will be consulting with officials to identify such a person "within the coming weeks'' ...not days, weeks.

The problem is that the public is tired of all this. There is a review in progress which already seems to have taken far too long. We are now promised another review, presumably to review the reviewers, but the chairman is yet to be identified and will not be identified until "the coming weeks.'' Troy Dean Shorter, Bermuda's most notorious convicted murderer, broke out of Casemates in July, 1991. That fact caused widespread public concern. The public concern was deepened by a string of embarrassing incidents for the Prison Service such as convicted child-killer Chesterfield Johnson's fling with an alleged prostitute in a pump room at the Department of Health while in a drug treatment programme. The Prison Service problems were made almost comic by the public presentation of the "Luscious Lollipops'' at the Prison Officers' Club, by the prisoner who fled from warders while keeping a fictitious dental appointment, by Troy Dean Shorter's escape by public bus, and by Commissioner Pringle leaving Bermuda the day after Shorter's escape.

When the public was promised the first review of the prison system, the implication was that the review would improve the system. We do not think anything was actually done at Casemates after Shorter's escape. Now we are promised a"piggy-back'' review before the first review is even complete.

We think all this reviewing is just an excuse to delay action at a time when the public wants action. The public knows that physical conditions at Casemates are not good but that does not stop it being fed-up with incidents involving the prison service, incidents which Minister Edness and Commissioner Pringle appear powerless to stop. Whatever happened to the concept of ministerial responsibility? We sincerely hope it has not been abandoned in Bermuda.

Government cannot go on appointing experts, engaging in reviews, and having inquiries in order to avoid decision making. That is what seems to be happening with the Prison Service. Government is going to appoint some kind of review board hoping to lull the public concern and in the hope the problems will just go away. Once again there will be no action, perhaps because Mr.

Edness and Mr. Pringle do not know what to do, except appoint reviewers, and are not accepting their responsibility for events at Casemates. We think they both need to be reviewed.

The public does not want any more talk. It wants action and it wants reassurance.