Reliance costs rising
20 Jun 05
Cost of using private prisoner escort service up 20%, analyst warns
A leading statistician is warning that the cost of using Reliance over the seven years of the contract could rise to more than £150 million.
Professor Sheila Bird of the Royal Statistical Society's analysis points out that monthly payments for the past three months averaged £1.8million as opposed to £1.5million in the original estimates, a 20% increase. The contract was originally estimated to be worth £126million.
Derek Turner, secretary of the Scottish Prisoner Officers' Association said the cost situation was "appalling".
However the Scottish Prison Service said money was not the only consideration when awarding the contract, as it allowed police and prison officers to concentrate on frontline duties.