Scot Lib Dems attack staggering failures in prisoner transport contract

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today said that the Justice Secretary must ensure prison transport firm GEOAmey must shape up or ship out as a freedom of information revealed tens of thousands of delays in the arrival and departure of prisoners from court.

A freedom of information request submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats to the Scottish Prison Service revealed that there have been:

• 1,516 delays to proceedings at court (due to late arrival of a prisoner or failure to bring that prisoner to a courtroom)

• 14,236 late arrivals of a prisoner to court (where a prisoner does not arrive at court in the timescales contracted but where there isn’t a delay to proceedings)

• 12,484 instances of failure to assume responsibility at a hospital (failure to ‘assume or maintain responsibility’ for a prisoner requiring hospital escort – including escort and supervision for scheduled appointments, taking over supervision from prison officers following emergency admission from prison, and supervision following emergency admission from court)

• 18,730 undue delays in departure of a prisoner from court

The freedom of information request also details failures to deliver prisoners to attend funerals, failure to provide food or water to prisoners, and failure to carry out effective risk assessments.

GEOAmey were hit with £4m worth of fines after repeated failures in the delivery of prisoner transport, delaying justice across Scotland and bringing all jury trials to a halt in the islands. The Auditor General’s annual audit of the Scottish Prison Service noted that “In recent years, GEOAmey has been unable to achieve the staffing levels required to effectively deliver the contract.”

Despite these failings, the firm paid out £1.3million in dividends to its shareholders last year, while five members of senior management earned a total income of £854,000.

Justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

“The scale of failure in delivery of the prison transport contract is staggering.

“When prisoner transfers don’t run smoothly, court time is wasted, justice is delayed and victims, defendants and court staff are put through the mill.  

“By contrast, the only consequences for GEOAmey have been an ineffectual slap on the wrist and an offer of improved contract terms.

“The Justice Secretary has a responsibility to ensure Scotland's justice system is safe, effective and properly resourced. She must ensure GEOAmey shapes up or ships out for good.”