Private firm to escort prisoners

Reliance has been awarded a seven-year contract

A private company has been awarded a multi-million pound contract to escort prisoners to and from the courts for the first time in Scotland.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed that Reliance Secure Task Management will begin escorting prisoners from April 2004 and the contract will run for seven years.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said the deal will free up police and prison officers for other duties.

The minister said the contract was "a sensible, practical measure" and follows similar contracts awarded in England and Wales, where Reliance has also been carrying out the work.

It does make sense for the movement of prisoners between police custody centres, courts and prisons across Scotland to be run as a national operation rather than as eight or nine separate operations Malcolm Dickson Acpos

Ms Jamieson said: "Any measure that allows Scottish Prison Service staff to spend more time in prisons, rather than vans or waiting rooms, is a benefit to the effectiveness of the service as a whole."

About 150,000 prisoner transfers take place each year in Scotland.

The new contract will have a phased introduction, with Reliance fully operational by October 2004.

Tom Riall, the company's managing director, said: "We are delighted to have won this contract and to be embarking on such an important relationship with the Scottish Prison Service.

"It reinforces our position in Scotland where Reliance has been providing a range of security-related services for more than 20 years including, since May 2002, the successful operation of a national contract with the Scottish Executive to provide electronic monitoring of offenders."

'Single organisation'

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) welcomed the announcement.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Dickson said: "The implementation of this contract will enable the redeployment of up to the equivalent of 300 experienced police officers across Scotland to duties more relevant to our core policing responsibilities.

"As the phased roll-out reaches across the country this will be a real and immediate increase of officers available for mainstream policing, rather than a delayed increase while new officers are recruited and trained."

Colin Fox: "Another privatised service"

However, the Scottish National Party condemned the move as a prison service sell-off.

A spokeswoman said: "It is one thing to look for ways to free up police and prison officer's time for more frontline duties but it is quite another to privatise parts of the service lock, stock and barrel.

"Security of prisoners is a core public service that should be delivered solely in the public interest."

The Scottish Socialist party's justice spokesman, Colin Fox, said: "Another Scottish Executive announcement, another privatised service.

"Cathy Jamieson is continuing the failed privatisation policies in relation to the justice system that have seen real problems arising in other areas of the public sector.

"The Scottish Socialist Party remains completely opposed to the privatisation of public services and resources."