the go-ahead yesterday in the Senate.

The new board will relieve Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox and the Treatment of Offenders Board of deciding if inmates should be released on parole.

All Senators agreed that setting up the board would lead to a more efficient, objective service, and leave Ms Cox free to run her Ministry.

However, United Bermuda Party Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess said he also wanted to see more rehabilitation measures in place.

He said steps had to be taken to reduce the 80 percent recidivism rate by ensuring inmates had something to come out of jail to.

Mr. Burgess said: "This board, with God's greatest will, is being set up to fail unless we do something now.

"In order for the system to work what we really need is to fix up our penal system.

"All we are doing is shifting the burden away from the Minister on to the board. That is what I'm not for.'' He said Government had to make sure that rehabilitation, which it is promoting, does not become just another buzz word.

He added: "I do believe people can be encouraged to a better life. We need to work out how they got into the trouble they are in in the first place.

"It can't make a lot of sense to have someone picked up for an offence, incarcerated and sent to prison, then sent back out into the same circumstances that caused them to commit the offence in the first place.'' Progressive Labour Party Sen. Calvin Smith said he believed a lot of people turned to crime because of poor environmental conditions, such as poor education, broken families, hostile surroundings and drugs.

But he said he was pleased with improvements to education, including the reduction in class sizes.

He said there was a problem with the way people interact with each other, including MPs in the House of Assembly.

Too often, he said, they were hostile and unnecessarily rude.

"I think it's common for Bermudians to address each other in a very hostile manner,'' said Sen. Smith.

"Also the language used in the House of Assembly...people say it's part of the Parliamentary process, but I'm not so sure. We are being rude in the process and then expect people to sanction it out on the radio.'' However, UBP Sen. Kim Swan said he was for the board, but wanted victims and their families to be able to put across their view when criminals came up for parole.

"I would urge Government... to give some consideration to the rights of victims and how the rights of victims can be further enhanced in the future,'' he said.

"We are in a very small society and the life of a victim is very much in a fish bowl.

"In Bermuda, the victims are very much an after thought. There are instances where other jurisdictions allow victims to appear at hearings, if they wish, and to give input to the Parole Boards.'' But PLP Senator David Burch said he had misgivings about allowing input because they would always feel bad about the crime and therefore not be so rational when it came to parole.

And he said blaming a poor environment for somebody turning to crime was merely a get out clause and an excuse.

He said: "I do not share the thoughts that if you come from a poor background or a single parent family that you will end up in prison.