Could hardened criminals get help in the UK?

FRIDAY, JAN. 6: Bermuda’s most dangerous criminals should be offered rehabilitation programmes open to inmates in the UK.

This is one of the proposals put forward by the government for consideration by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Premier Paula Cox said yesterday that offenders who had committed the most serious crimes could benefit from being transferred to the UK.

She told the media: “It’s the idea of recognizing the wider resources and the breadth of resources and seeing whether we can piggyback on that.”

Ms Cox was elaborating on proposals put forward for a new White Paper on the colonies.

The Bermuda submission states: “The UK is known to have strong rehabilitation programmes for those who have been incarcerated.

“Educational programmes for this group, as well as other sectors of the Bermudian population engaged in anti-social behaviour should be explored and offered by the UK through their resources and relevant departments.

“The transfer of prisoners, based on a level of criminality, to UK prisons without any added costs, save for administrative fees, would be a very useful area of enhanced co-operation.”

Yesterday Ms Cox acknowledged that idea of sending prisoners to the UK had been rejected a few years ago.

But she talked about transferring ‘severe level’ prisoners as a mode of deterrent.

She added: “At that time it was not something that was looked upon favourably.

“I don’t know if there has been a change of approach.

“But many of the overseas territories have talked about the fact there has been heightened criminal activity occurring in their islands.

“It’s a question of what are the options of resituating severe level, in terms of crime, prisoners abroad.

“It’s more the idea of deterrent.”

The Bermuda submissions also include employee exchanges between the Bermuda Civil Service and the UK Civil Service.

They also suggest allowing Bermuda to have direct lines of engagement with the UK Parliament by serving on Parliamentary Committees where matters affecting Bermuda’s national interest are discussed.

Ms Cox said that the very nature of the relationship with the UK provided scope for assistance to Bermuda.

She added: “We are an overseas territory and as such there is an administering power that is the UK.

“In the confines of being a colony there are areas where there can be assistance. That is the nature of the special relationship.

“Within the confines of that relationship we have always been recognized as different in some ways like how we operate .

“Our constitution is much more mature and developed But don’t get duped or lulled into a false sense of security – we are still an overseas territory.”

Ms Cox told the media: “We don’t want money. We want opportunities like secondments and training opportunities

“Not just from the public sector but the private sector, too.”