THE Governor of Dartmoor Prison has been forced to sell off the jail's farm animals and cut an education rehabilitation programme in order to make savings of around half a million pounds.

The cuts, ordered by the Home Office, have angered prison staff who are concerned lack of cash will lead to longer lock-up times for inmates and lower morale within the service.

John Lawrence, governor of the jail for five years, said the Home Office had agreed to an overspend in 1997/98 but had insisted on a 1.6 per cent cut in this year's £13.6-million budget.

He said: 'I have said I will make the cuts mounting to £200,000 and pick up the £250,000 deficit from last year.

'Some of the money will be found from a large sale of the prison animals at the end of the month including the beef cattle and two Shire horses — the pigs have already gone.

'I will be keeping the special breeds Highland cattle and concentrating on the dairy herd, possibly expanding it, because milk is still profitable.

'I am pleased to say there have been no redundancies on the farm although some members of staff have been transferred to other parts of the prison.'

The farm sale is expected to raise £100,000 and should result in fewer vets' fees and smaller food bills, said Mr Lawrence.

Evening classes run by voluntary uniform prison staff and a special extended thinking skills programme have also been reduced in this latest cost-cutting exercise.

The six and eight ETS sessions a week were delivered by psychologists and probation service officers from outside the prison service to get prisoners to rethink their actions and help with life and social skills. It was considered to be an important part of the long-term rehabilitation of Dartmoor's inmates.

Mr Lawrence said: 'What has caused concern among the teachers is the cuts to the extended thinking skills programme. This was in our education budget originally but has now been transferred to the probation service.

'The short-term contract posts have been advertised for less money as they are now probation service officer's grade and not teaching grade.'

He said he hoped to save £60,000 from the axed skills programme and a further £40,000 from the reduction of evening classes.

'I have met the teachers to explain why I am having to make these cuts and they are not happy but unfortunately I have to go down this route.

'We have always been lean and tight in the South West and these latest cuts have been difficult. I look for economies the whole time and we even make our own furniture.'

Trevor Horn, chairman of the Dartmoor branch of the Prison Officers' Association, said: 'We are worried about the knock-on effect and where the next cuts are going to come from. Everyone tells us what a wonderful job we are doing and instead of giving us more resources, the Government is clawing it back.'

Mr Horn said Dartmoor Prison coped with an extra 100 prisoners last year bringing the total of inmates to 640. Around ten per cent are in for murder or manslaughter, one third are sex offenders and 100 inmates are serving more than ten years for other serious offences.

'Initially we did get extra money for those emergency placings but the cash is not ongoing,' he said. 'It doesn't make sense and I don't know how we are going to cope. We are being cut to the bone. It is hard on the Governor.

'Instead of the prisoners being occupied, the Government say some will have to stay locked-up but we can't do that — it's not on. This Government is supposed to be more socially aware than the last one but we can't see that. We are not happy with the situation and staff morale is at an all time low at the moment.'

West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett has promised to speak to Prisons Minister Lord Williams of Mostyn about the situation.

After a conversation with Mr Lawrence, the Liberal Democrat MP said the cuts were a terrible mistake.

'We should be trying to improve prisoners' chances of a smooth transition to an outside life,' he said. 'This is counter productive.

'The rehabilitation of prisoners is so important as many are illiterate and education in prison is essential so they do not return to a life of crime — in other words, go right back in again.'