Why privatise jail escort service?

YOUR editorial (Irish Examiner, May 6) states that privatisation of the prison escort service “purely for cost-cutting purposes is something that warrants very serious consideration.”

You might be interested to know that this proposal has in fact already been given serious consideration by a Department of Justice expert committee, whose findings are completely at odds with Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s drive to privatise.

The Department of Justice’s prison service staffing and operations review team (SORT) released a report to Mr McDowell in July 2002 on the prison escort service, with a view to improving efficiencies and reducing overtime costs.