is to have its first prison treatment programme for sex offenders early in 1994.

This seems to be constructive action on the recognition that simple incarceration may be two things: punishment for crimes committed and protection for the public from sex offenders during their prison term. But it does not help the offenders themselves with their original problem.

A person, and they are largely men, who commits sex crimes is not very likely to change his ways simply by being put in jail. In fact, it could be argued that jail is very likely to complicate a man's sexual problems. In any case, jail without treatment is likely to be only a short term protection of the public from offenders.

Many sex crimes are committed by people who are brutal and angry. Life in jail is likely to return a man to society more angry and more brutal than before he went in. That only increases the danger to society. There is also the danger that a person who commits a sex crime, who is identified and is jailed, returns to society determined not to be identified again. His attempts not to be identified can lead to very violent sex crimes.

If the purpose of jail is to protect the public, then surely jail needs to go further and try to return to the public a person who is no longer a threat.

That can only happen with rehabilitation and treatment.

Very often in Bermuda crimes of violence, although not necessarily sexual crimes, are exacerbated by drug or alcohol abuse. Therefore it was good to read that the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Hon. Quinton Edness, told the House of Assembly that a new substance abuse treatment programme is also planned. That's important because alcohol and drugs so often play a part in physical abuse, especially in abuse against women and domestic abuse in general.

The opening of the new prison gives Bermuda an opportunity to take constructive steps toward rehabilitation of the people imprisoned. We must take the initiative toward rehabilitation now because if we do not, standards will be set for the new prison which may not be high enough. With the organisation of a new facility, Bermuda should start out the way it intends to go on.

The new prison has become something of a "hot'' issue. Poor conditions at Casemates were constantly criticised until a decision was taken to build a new jail. Now Government is criticised for building a new prison to lock up Bermudians. Again it is an example of damned if you do not and then damned when you do. One thing is certain, if we operate the new prison in a constructive way, then prisoners will have a better chance of a future than they have now at Casemates.