An employee at the Prison Farm has resigned after being caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

The Royal Gazette learned the employee, who was responsible for banking inmates' work release earnings, took money from their accounts. She was caught after an inmate's mother noticed a discrepancy in her son's account.

The news came from the relative of another inmate.

The woman -- who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions toward her imprisoned relative -- said about $6,000 had been removed from inmates' accounts over the last two years.

She said the thief was asked to resign, not fired, after the crime was discovered.

Health and Social Services Minister Harry Soares said he had no say in the hirings or firings of prison employees and was not allowed to be involved with personnel matters.

However, he had been fully briefed on the situation by Prison Commissioner Edward Dyer, he said.

Mr. Soares confirmed irregularities in inmates' bank accounts had been noticed and a full review was held "a week ago last Friday''.

As a result of that review, he continued, a Prison Farm employee had resigned.

But he would not give the employee's name nor the amount of missing funds.

He stressed the accounts had been straightened out and full restitution made.

Mr. Soares added that, as far as he was aware, there were no plans to prosecute the former employee.

Like any other employer, he continued, Government made every effort to screen the people it hired and tried to implement procedures that would detect foul play.

But no method was 100 percent effective, he added, so employers had to be ready to act when something came up.

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