a four-week suspension to review procedures and tighten security.

Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness is expected to approve the move after a meeting this week with Prisons Commissioner Mr. Milton Pringle.

Although the resumption may spark controversy, Mr. Edness maintains the programmes are vital to the health of prisoners, prison security and the aims of prisoner rehabilitation.

The meeting this week between the Minister and Mr. Pringle follows completion of a review that looked at general aspects of the work programmes including: the possible need to establish more stringent programme eligibility requirements for prisoners; work programme supervision; and where the day-release programmes can operate.

"Reviews of the programmes took place on a regular basis,'' Mr. Edness said.

"But obviously we felt it was necessary for a more in-depth review of the criteria. So we suspended them and now, I believe, we've done everything we can to reduce the risks to the public.

"These programmes are very important to the rehabilitation of prisoners. It's something we can't stop.'' The Prisons operates two different programmes.

One, called a work release programme, is open to inmates who have served 50 percent of their sentences and who have passed a so-called 166 assessment.

That assessment evaluates prisoner conduct, attitude and psychology. It is passed on to the Treatment of Offenders Board which makes a recommendation to the Minister.

Approval enables prisoners to get a day job outside of prison and to be eligible for early release. It is considered a form of parole and any transgressions of conditions can lead to its cancellation.

The second work programme puts prison gangs to work in the community. It is managed by the Prison Commissioner and his senior officers who together determine prisoner eligibility.

Prison gangs have worked for the West End Development Corporation at Dockyard, on the railway trail, St. James Church and in clean-ups around rest homes.

After Hurricane Emily, work gangs cut slate blocks which were in serious shortage because of widespread storm damage.

"Both these programmes have worked well in the past in assisting the rehabilitation of inmates and preparing their re-entry into the community,'' Mr. Edness said.

"The work gangs have also saved the community hundreds of thousands of dollars and done significant work for it.'' Up to April's suspension, about 35 prisoners were on work release with anywhere from 12 to 24 on work programmes.

"Both these programmes have worked well in the past in helping the rehabilitation of inmates and preparing their re-entry into the community,'' Mr. Edness said.

"They improves the prisoners' general attitude and re-teach responsibility.

They're also important in the sense of better management of Casemates Prison.

If you keep the men bundled up there all the time it leads to greater tensions and increased risks for the officers.

"In a facility such as Casemates Prison, with all its inadequacies and restrictions, it is essential that these work programmes go on so that inmates can get out and ease the tensions created by 24-hour-a-day confinement.'' Mr. Edness said it was vital for the community to understand the importance of rehabilitation within the prisons and that risks were inherent in the situation.

"There are always problems when it comes to human behaviour, especially criminal behaviour,'' he said. "But I feel that with the present system -- except for the prison facility itself -- the community is served very well.'' The Minister said the Casemates facility had hampered progress on prisoner rehabilitation programmes. That would change, he said, with completion of the new prison, possibly by September, 1993.

"The new prison will offer the opportunity to provide good rehabilitation programmes that will deal with attitude, self-esteem, education, work skills -- all of the things that cause a person to change from criminality to good citizenship.'' HON. Quinton Edness.