Mitie (MCCL) will take over Scotland’s prisoner escort and court custody services from GEOAmey, the current provider. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said it chose the company after a thorough and competitive procurement process.
The Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody Scotland (JPECCS) contract takes effect on 23 January 2027, when the GEOAmey contract is due to end. That gives MCCL a year to plan the handover.
SPS led the procurement. It agreed the terms with Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and the Scottish Government. The partners said the contract puts care and welfare, continuous improvement in performance and value for money at its heart.
It will run for eight years, two months and eight days, ending on 31 March 2035. The estimated total cost is £415 million.
Lessons from past criticism
SPS drew on two reports when it designed the technical and commercial specification. One was the “planned failure” thematic review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS), from December 2024. The other was a Public Audit Committee report from June 2024.
Independent Monitor reports and the Scottish court service had both criticised GEOAmey for failing to get prisoners to medical appointments and court hearings. Those failures disrupted the smooth running of prisons. GEOAmey’s performance reportedly improved after the two reports appeared. According to the announcement, a recalibration of its contract in 2023 brought a consistent improvement in performance.
SPS said MCCL has a proven record of delivering many comparable services. The planned fleet has 133 vehicles, including one high-security escort vehicle with ballistic protection. SPS said the design of every vehicle puts strong emphasis on welfare, security and operational efficiency.
Staff will wear body-worn cameras. The vehicles will carry real-time trackers, live-stream CCTV cameras and duress alarms.
The chief executive of SPS, Teresa Medhurst, said the contract would meet the needs of everyone involved. “It is important that, working together, we deliver a prisoner escort contract that meets the needs of those in our care, our justice and health partners, and Scotland as a whole, whilst also ensuring best value for the public. I am confident that this contract will do that,” she said.
The Justice Secretary, Angela Constance, thanked the officers who carry out the work. “Court custody services and prisoner escorting are integral to the effective operation of the whole criminal justice system, and I am grateful to the hundreds of frontline Prisoner Custody Officers who play their part in that every day,” she said.
The contract also promises economic and community benefits. Each year, it will provide sustainable jobs for five young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, 15 work placements and 2,780 volunteering hours.
