Jamieson wins top-level support

Ms Jamieson has demanded answers from Reliance

First Minister Jack McConnell has thrown his weight behind under-fire Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson.

Ms Jamieson has come under pressure after convicted killer James McCormick was allowed to walk free from court.

The Scottish National Party claim she has failed to guarantee public safety after privatising escort services which led to the release of McCormick.

But Jack McConnell said Ms Jamieson is an outstanding minister who is on top of the current situation.

His comments came after the justice minister again defended her response following the incident.

Mr McConnell said: "It is not just the responsibility of the justice minister to address this situation, it is the responsibility of all the different agencies involved - the prison service, the company, the courts and the police to work together to ensure that we do not see a repeat of these incidents.

"There is absolutely no doubt that Cathy Jamieson is an outstanding minister."

Prison population

Ms Jamieson said she had taken "a hands-on attitude" after James McCormick was wrongly freed.

She said the prison service was "responsible" for overseeing the contract with the security firm, Reliance.

However the SNP accused the minister of ducking her responsibilities.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight Scotland, Ms Jamieson she expected those responsible for monitoring the contract to be doing that.

Commenting on private firms being used to escort offenders to and from court, Ms Jamieson added: "The idea was to free up police officers for front line duties and we wanted to free up prison officers, who are dealing with a rising prison population.

Prisoner transfer measures are now being reviewed

"It does work well in the other parts of the UK, and there is no reason why it cannot work well here.

"The company has accepted that it was something [the release] that should not have happened. I can understand the outrage of the public and the victim's family."

But SNP justice spokeswoman Nicola Sturgeon hit out at Ms Jamieson's comments.

Ms Sturgeon told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "Most people would expect public safety to be a ministerial matter.

"As the minister has said, policy is down to ministers and the policy decision to privatise this contract was taken by ministers.

"Cathy Jamieson sounds very much as if she is trying to shut the stable door after the horse - or in this case the prisoner - has bolted.

Firm's apology

"I think a competent minister would have made sure that procedures were in place, that staff who were being expected to do this job had adequate training for the job, before a private company was allowed to have custody of prisoners.

"Because she did not do that, we now have one prisoner on the run and what sounds to me like chaos in our courts."

James McCormick, 17, was released in error from Hamilton Sheriff Court last Thursday.

The teenager, who is still at large, was sentenced to life after being found guilty of stabbing 17-year-old Thomas Loughrey in the Pollokshaws area of Glasgow on 27 July, 2003.

He had been appearing in court on an unconnected charge.

Tom Riall, managing director of Reliance Custodial Services, apologised for his firm's error on Tuesday.