Court escort deal fuels child welfare fears

Published on Tuesday 25 March 2008 21:48

CHILD welfare concerns were raised last night after it emerged a private security company has been awarded a contract to escort children to and from court.

Reliance has landed the three-year deal from the Scottish Government to transport young people sentenced to detention by Scottish courts to and from secure units.

Reliance already holds the contract to transfer Scotland's prisoners to and from prisons, police stations and courts.

The company attracted controversy in 2004 when a number of prisoners under its care absconded. Since then, however, Reliance's performance has improved, and the company has been praised in a report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dr Andrew McLellan.

Jim Greenoak, Reliance's operations director in Scotland, said: "We have the expertise and staff to provide a professional and effective service which will give priority to the welfare and safety of these children while protecting the public."

However, Kathleen Marshall, the Children's Commissioner, said: "I hope the contract for this service gives the appropriate weight to children's welfare in decisions about how they are to be transferred to secure units."

Reliance will take the service over from St Mary's Kenmure, which operates a secure unit in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire.