Security firm Reliance loses Scotland contract for tagging |
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Published
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Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:05
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LONDON: Security firm Reliance Monitoring Service lost a 30-million-pound contract to tag offenders in Scotland to rival Serco Group Plc, which will take on the five-year assignment in April 2006. Observers feel Reliance lost out to Serco possibly as a result of certain controversies involving its sister company Custodial Services for mistaken releases of prisoners, including a murder convict, and prison escapes.
Serco's subsidiaries operate similar services in Wales and parts of England. It also manages the only private prison in Scotland at Kilmarnock. The group supplies monitoring equipment to governments in Australia, South Africa, Italy, British Columbia and Newfoundland.
The contract covers full range of electronic monitoring, probation conditions, monitoring through children's hearing system and home detention curfews. The Scottish Executive's decision follows a competitive tendering process and evaluation of quality of service and the value of money.
The group has also been appointed preferred bidder for a 120-bed houseblock at Lowdham Grange prison in Nottinghamshire. The contract is subject to planning permission and is valued at 29 million pounds over 18 years.
An executive spokesman said the decision to switch the agencies was not related to the problems Reliance experienced when it took over responsibility for court and prison escort duties last year. He said these activities were undertaken by a separate Reliance entity.
Reliance had secured the contract in January 2002 for 14 million pounds and was extended for a further 12 months earlier this year.
In the U.K., tagging is being extended to low-risk prisoners who will be allowed to serve the latter part of their sentence at home.
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