A pilot programme aimed at holding criminals accountable for their actions is quietly underway in local prisons.

And its founder, Jack Harris of Performance Consultants International, is hoping that Government will fully implement it soon.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette on the heels of a story in which a former inmate claimed that prisoners were being released without the proper skills to cope in the mainstream, Mr. Harris said sending people to prison had also proven to increase the crime rate in some jurisdictions.

The Winning Way programme aimed at producing a change of heart in offenders so that feelings of inequity can be removed through several key factors, including new faith, increased self-esteem and job and life skills, he said.

And he explained that the programme -- parts of which he has been using with inmates -- deals with six in-depth topics: psychological assessment; an individual profile; personal learning and thinking style profiles; a "highly motivated'' Adventures in Attitudes seminar which has proven successful in weaning people off welfare in Georgia; a personal review of spirituality, values and ethics; and an extensive in-depth career development profile.

He also pointed out that key concepts of the programme included: taking into account the Bermudian culture; shifting responsibility for decision making and behaviour from the system to the participants; taking into account the personality, behaviour, educational levels and learning styles of the participants; equipping participants for success vocationally and socially; and completing a personal profile of the participants strengths and weaknesses.

"I have spent ten years of personal work in the field of rehabilitation with prison inmates in Bermuda, including teaching at Casemates, plus five years on the Treatment of Offenders Board,'' Mr. Harris noted.

"During this time I have developed, amongst the inmates, the most important criteria for working in the field of rehabilitation a reputation for personal credibility and integrity.

"My research leads me to the same conclusion as international statistics that the three prime areas to be addressed are -- a change of heart and attitude by the offender; a steady job with which to re-enter society; and maintaining contact with an outside support system, preferably the family.

"A rehabilitation programme becomes progressively less effective if the above three factors are not addressed.''