Wincanton, the Chippenham-based logistics group, has teamed up with outsourcing giant Serco, to provide prisoner escort and custody services in London and the East of England.
The contract with the Ministry of Justice is worth £42m a year and will run for seven years with options to extend it by a further three years.
Under the arrangement prisoners will be securely transported between HM prisons, police stations and courts. Staff will also be provided to manage custody suites and accompany prisoners in courtroom docks.
Serco will manage the day-to-day operations, employ prison custody officers and supply management systems. Wincanton will provide logistical expertise including a fleet of specialist vehicles, activity scheduling and vehicle tracking, as well as providing driver training and fleet management.
Wincanton chief executive Eric Born said the announcement represented an excellent strategic opportunity for Wincanton as it looks to expand its presence in the public sector.
“By combining Serco’s long-standing expertise within the criminal justice system and Wincanton’s proven track record in specialist logistics, we expect this highly-innovative service to deliver considerable savings for the UK taxpayer over the life of the contract.”
