from inmates to allow loved ones to bring Christmas meals.

Prisoners at Westgate wrote to both the Prisons Commissioner, Mr. Edward Dyer, and Social Services Minister Harry Soares asking for the ban to be repealed.

Yesterday, the Minister said the ban would remain, adding that in the past food brought into a jail had contained drugs.

Mr. Soares also said allowing Christmas Day meals would increase overtime costs -- already more than $350,000 over budget.

Copies of the letters were also sent to The Royal Gazette and contained a petition with more than 100 signatures.

The letter to the Minister asks permission for families to bring Christmas meals saying "the receipt of Christmas meals is of no cogent security risk and it has never been a security risk''.

It adds: "Although these meals may seem trivial it is impossible for the administration of Westgate Correctional Facility to understand the emotional and psychological importance of these Christmas meals.'' The ban extends to all Bermuda's prisons and was recently enforced to try and eliminate contraband getting inside jails.

But the letter to Mr. Dyer claims bringing meals has not proved a security risk and inmates cannot understand the change in rules.

"The prison has allowed families in the past to bring in a meal for their loved ones on Christmas Day and we, the inmates, cannot comprehend why this has changed.

"It has never been a security risk for your administration at anytime in the past.

"Having a Christmas meal brought to an inmate by his family means a whole lot to him,'' the letter to Mr. Dyer said.

Yesterday, Mr. Soares sought to explain the decision which was made to reduce the amount of drugs getting inside prisons and reduce overtime costs.

He said also that in recent years extra effort had been made to provide "nutritional, balanced, tasty, varied and attractive'' meals and special care was taken at Christmas to ensure inmates were given a traditional dinner.

Under existing policy, said Mr. Soares, visitors are not allowed to bring food into prisons.

"It is my understanding that the policy was put in place to reduce and hopefully eliminate contraband, and in particular illicit drugs, being smuggled into prisons.

"During the past few months members of the public have expressed their concerns to me about the amount of illicit drugs in Bermuda's prisons.

"Similar sentiments have been passed to me from present and former prison's staff who are keen to eliminate drugs in the prisons. I share these concerns,'' said Mr. Soares.

He said overtime was also a problem and prison officers had complained about "excessive overtime'' they were being forced to work. As a result he has ordered a review of prisons staffing levels.

If the present policy was relaxed for Christmas Day, he said it would take nine officers, each working an extra eight hours, to inspect meals at the three prisons.

"This would mean these officers would not be able to spend Christmas Day with their families. The estimated overtime cost would be in excess of $3,000 and up to the end of October overtime at the prisons is more than $350,000 over budget.''