Reliance is being given added responsibilities

From Tuesday, the firm will take on extra custody responsibilities in courts in central Scotland.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said Reliance has completed a shadowing exercise in the area and will move on to the next stage.

Tom Fox, of the SPS, said he expected Reliance's contract to be fully operational by January 2005.

Reliance will undertake further shadowing exercises in Lothian and the Borders and northern Scotland, before the end of 2004.

Most of Reliance's mistakes have been administrative Tom Fox SPS

Staff shadowed at HMP Glenochil, all of the custody units of Central Scotland Police and the sheriff and district courts of Alloa, Falkirk and Stirling in the latest phase.

The firm came under the spotlight after a number of prisoners were released in error when it began its �126m contract to provide prisoner escort services in the west of Scotland in April.

A number of prisoners and offenders were mistakenly set free and the extension of the contract was suspended until the problems were ironed out.

Reliance is already responsible for prisoner escorting and court custody duties throughout the Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway areas.

'Rigorous' testing

Mr Fox said Reliance had faced "rigorous" testing and he expected the contract to be fully operational by early 2005.

"I think everyone recognises that mistakes happen," he said.

"Most of Reliance's mistakes have been administrative and what we need to have is a transparent system whereby mistakes are identified and rectified quickly."

Since 22 July, Reliance staff have familiarised themselves with the layout of the local courts by shadowing police and court staff.