The assessment process used to determine whether or not prison inmates are deployed on Community Service Programmes will be tightened up.The assurance was issued by Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley, in the wake of the fallout stemming from the case of convicted rapist Tewolde Mathin Selassie.Selassie was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2007 for the serious sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl in 2005. Due to time spent on remand in the lead up to his trial, he will be eligible for parole in October.The victim's mother expressed her outrage in exclusive interviews with The Royal Gazette after a neighbour informed her that Selassie was working with a group of prisoners near her home last week.The Minister acknowledged the public outcry that followed at a press conference yesterday and stated that he had been in touch with the victim's mother.“This obviously caused them considerable distress and as the Minister responsible for Corrections I deeply sympathise with the family” said Mr Dunkley.“This incident is the result of a genuine fault in the system and where there are flaws in the system then it is the responsibility of the Government to address them.“Policies and programmes must be implemented in ways that inspire public confidence. We may not get everything right but we have a responsibility to reduce the risk of getting it wrong.”To that end he said: “This case demonstrates the need for our systems to always exercise care and to always stay in tune with public sentiment.“With the Commissioner of Corrections, we will tighten-up the assessment that surrounds inmate deployment on community service and how we might better insulate victims and their families from having to relieve the horror of the crime,” said Mr Dunkley.“What we cannot do is end the programme. Too much success is at stake to simply shelve the initiative because of adverse publicity,” he added.“We do not cut and run, we adjust the way we do things to allow for the positives to continue and the negatives to be dealt with. The community service programme will continue.”But the programme will not continue for the inmate in question. A Ministry spokesman confirmed that Selassie has been removed from the Community Service Programme and will remain at the Prison Farm.When asked for an official response as to why this newspaper was told: “This inmate has been withdrawn from the programme as part of the review mentioned earlier today.”The spokesman added: “Inmate Selassie underwent a series of programmes before transfer to the Farm facility.“This included the sex offender treatment programme as well as the anger management programme.”When contacted, the mother was relieved to hear that Selassie is now off the programme.“First I'd to thank the Minister, he didn't have to call me but he did and I appreciate that plus the fact that they've taken Selassie off the programme,” she said.“Hopefully they will keep him off because its just better for the community in general, not just for me and my family.”She was grateful to hear the Minister will review the criteria for inmates to qualify for the prison programmes.“I still believe this issue has to be fixed and I know there's enough passion in Bermuda about this that if the powers that be don't want to fix it, there are advocacy groups that will with the help of members of the community in general.“Perhaps its time for us to come together and join up with the advocates to ensure that the review happens. But I'm relieved that something is happening, I appreciate hearing that from the Minister,” she said.“I thanked him for calling me and I would like to thank The Royal Gazette for publishing my story. For my daughter it has been a recurring nightmare revisited,” she added.And she maintained that she still plans to have her say at the Parole Board Hearing in October.The Minister had recalled the 2012 Report of the Parole Board that said “of the 131 cases reviewed, 32 inmates were granted parole last year”.He also reiterated the Attorney General's pledge to review the eligibility for parole after serving one-third of a sentence “as a matter of importance”.“The imposition of long sentences with recommendations on parole eligibility is a message to us as legislators and it is a message we must heed. Please be assured that the review of the parole regime is a priority for the Ministry of Public Safety and the Government,” said Mr Dunkley.He noted that “an amendment to increase the size of the Parole Board” will be debated in May in addition to new legislation “to make a breach of parole an arrestable offence”.The Minister concluded: “The people of Bermuda have expressed their views clearly and we will act prudently based on clear public sentiment.“We have heard the people; we feel their concern and fully understand the demand for our attention in this area.“Let me again express my sincere support and understanding of the concern and upset of this victim's family.“Out of these distressing circumstances for one family, we are determined to learn, improve and make meaningful changes to policies, laws and how we do business.”