alternatives to prison sentences deserves the support of the whole community.

Few will disagree that the current system of imprisonment is not working. The problem of people going to prison for fairly minor crimes -- because there is no alternative -- is one that Bermuda has been grappling with for years.

More troubling is the continued high rate of repeat offences, in which the same relatively small number of people go in and out of prison and back in shows that the concept of rehabilitation through prison is not working.

There is evidence that inmates return to the community as a greater menace.

In some cases, this is a result of their having learned the tricks of the trade in prison. Released inmates who are unable to get work, cannot build stable lives, and those with drugs problems are also likely to re-offend.

To that end, Government's plan to look at the whole question of alternative sentences is the right one.

It is important to note that Government recognises that people will still be imprisoned, even after alternative sentences are introduced. Some crimes -- and some criminals -- are so bad that the public must be protected from them via incarceration. It has to be recognised that not all can be rehabilitated.

It is also important to note that Government has pledged that alternate sentencing will not be a "soft option''. Nothing could be more damaging or morale sapping than the idea that people given alternate sentences, ranging from drug rehab to community service, see it as nothing more than a way out.

Any programmes should be structured and contain an element of labour, the proceeds of which could be used to get a person back on their feet to repay the victim or to fund the programme.

The fact that RenaissanceRe has provided seed money for the scheme is also to be welcomed. Not only will this take some pressure off the public purse, but it also ensures that there will be a degree of accountability to the community.

James Stanard, the RenaissanceRe chief executive, correctly noted that a stable business climate cannot exist without a stable social climate.

International companies choose to be in Bermuda and they can just as easily choose to move. The fact that Renaissance has made this contribution to the programme shows that it is committed to the Island. If it succeeds, then it is possible that Bermuda will see more public-private joint ventures in the future. If it fails, the community is unlikely to see any further cooperation.

Therefore it is essential that this scheme be given every opportunity to work.

Certainly, at the outset, it will be expensive and will require the widest possible community involvement.

But the long term benefits, both in terms of building a safer, more just society and in terms of cost, are limitless.