An in-depth study into young black males, produced by an Ivy Leauge professor, will be released by mid-October.

The report, entitled 'A Study of Employment, Earnings and Educational Attainment Gaps Between Young Black and White Men in Bermuda', was due to be released in April.

But Rolfe Commissiong, the Premier's consultant on race relations, said the delay was caused by health issues faced by the report's author Ronald Mincy.

Dr. Mincy is a professor at Columbia University's School of Social Work. He has also worked with both the Carter and Clinton administrations in the US.

Yesterday, Mr. Commissiong said he was pleased with what he has seen so far in the report.

"We are looking to release it either in the final week of September of the first week of October," he said. "We are working on scheduling it right now. I have not seen the final draft yet, but I am pleased with what I have seen so far.

"I think it will go a long way to helping the Government and private sector have a more meaningful debate on the issue impacting the important sub-group within this community. The report allows us to have a more informative look at the issues and hopefully, based on the data, it will inform us on what is fuelling and forming this behaviour."

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about gang activity on the Island as a result of a spate of shootings. Goverment is considering introducing anti-gang leglisation.

Mr. Commissiong said he believed there would be a lot of interest in the study once it was released and added: "I think with Dr. Mincy's background, the community can use this work with some confidence."

When it was first announced, Premier Ewart Brown said the study would help the Government implement policies, programmes and legislation that could bridge the gap between this segment of the population and other young adults in Bermuda.

The last study on young black males was commissioned in May 2005 by then Premier Alex Scott. Sociologist Roy Wright was called out of retirement to conduct the study, proposed to Government by the Committee on Black Men, which included Government backbencher Wayne Perinchief, then-Government Senator Walter Roban and Mr. Commissiong. Its findings were not released to the public.

When the newest report was announced Dr. Mincy said the previous one did not go far enough.