Jamieson threatens to terminate Reliance contract unless it improves

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Apr 18, 2004 | by Stephen Naysmith

The (pounds) 126 million contract with private security company Reliance will be terminated by Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson unless the firm makes further improvements in its performance in escorting Scotland's prisoners.

The warning, issued after a two-hour crisis meeting with the Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Court Service, officials from the justice department and Strathclyde Police, came as officers arrested the ex-girlfriend of murderer James McCormick, whose escape on Thursday, April 8, triggered the current crisis.

Emerging from the meeting yesterday, Jamieson said they had reported "some practical improvements" over the past week, but that much more evidence was needed if public confidence was to be restored.

Since taking over prisoner escort responsibilities on April 5, the company has allowed 17-year-old killer McCormick to walk free from Hamilton Sheriff court, freed another prisoner who later handed himself in and been responsible for lengthy delays and chaos in courts. So far, only courts in Strathclyde are affected under the first phase of a contract which will ultimately see the service rolled out across Scotland. Plans for this roll-out are currently on hold.

The sheriffs' association has fiercely criticised a lack of training of some Reliance staff and yesterday warned that sheriffs would not sit if safety in courts was compromised.

Despite improvements, Jamieson conceded Reliance were not yet delivering the service without the assistance of others within the justice system - a reference to police who have helped maintain order at courts in the Strathclyde force area.

She said: "There is much more still to do before I will be convinced that the service is delivering the kind of consistent performance we and the public expect. We need to see day-in, day-out delivery of sharp performance from Reliance and their staff on the ground."

Jamieson said she would report to parliament this week on the events which have taken place during the first two weeks of Reliance's contract, during the Scottish parliament's easter recess. She will also explain "what is being done to strengthen arrangements before decisions need to be taken on further roll out across Scotland".

She urged James McCormick to give himself up, and said her thoughts were with the family of his victim, Thomas Loughrey. "They face a second weekend of uncertainty while James McCormick hides from the police. This family have shown tremendous dignity and strength over the past week. Those reserves are not limitless.

"I once again join them in urging James McCormick or anyone close to him to think about the effect this is having, to say enough is enough and to hand himself in to police."

Meanwhile, police moved yesterday to arrest Laura Reid, McCormick's 16-year-old former girlfriend, who has met with him since his escape. Reid, who boasted to a newspaper that she had cut McCormick's hair off in the street and "gave him (pounds) 2 to get away" also revealed that he was laughing at the "shambles" Reliance had caused and was having a "wee holiday".

Police would only say that she had been arrested in connection with the inquiry into McCormick's disappearance. However Reid, from Glasgow, is expected to face charges.

The SNP said it was incomprehensible that Reliance should be allowed to continue to escort potentially dangerous prisoners when it was unable to cope on its own. Justice spokeswoman Nicola Sturgeon said: "If this company is not good enough to provide the service in areas it doesn't serve yet, how can it be good enough to do it in the areas it is operational in?

"Either they are up to the job or they are not. If not, it seems to me they shouldn't be delivering the service anywhere in Scotland.

"Reliance still has responsibility for prisoners, including dangerous prisoners such as James McCormick. If, in Cathy Jamieson's assessment, they are not up to the job, then to allow them to continue at all is gambling with public safety."

Referring to the support the firm is receiving from Strathclyde Police, Sturgeon said: "The whole rationale for this is supposed to be to save police time and yet they are having to shadow a private company that is being paid handsomely by the British taxpayer to do the job."

Reliance Custodial Services were not represented at yesterday's meeting, but a spokesman for the company said: "We welcome the acknowledgement by Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson that the services we provide have improved over the past two weeks. We are working closely with the Scottish Prison Service, the police and the Scottish Court Service to build on this improvement."