The UK prisoner escort outsourcing firm, Reliance, has let another prisoner slip through it's bumbling fingers.

Back in April they released a teenaged murderer who faked them out with someone else's papers.

Today it was a man charged with assault, who escaped through the roof of the Reliance van.

Mr Riall confirmed that a 19-year-old prisoner had escaped from one of the company's vehicles, through an emergency hatch in the roof, but said the incident should not be taken out of context.

He said: "This is only the first escape we've had from one of our vehicles.

"We've moved more than 13,000 prisoners and have only incurred two escapes."

Bravo. Except earlier in that same article, it was stated...

Earlier this month it was revealed that up to 17 people may have been released in error since Reliance began prisoner escorts in the west of Scotland.

However, managing director Tom Riall told a Scottish parliamentary committee that six of those releases could be blamed to some extent on Reliance.

So which statement is true? It's obvious to everyone in Scotland that this firm should not be handling prisoners. Obvious to everyone except the Justice Minister.

She said: "I am clearly concerned to hear about this morning's escape from a Reliance vehicle.

Goody. Wait, it gets better...

The minister pointed out that a system was in place to impose financial penalties on Reliance for escapes.

It's not going to instill faith in the hearts of crime victims to know that the greedy government is going to collect a bounty for losing their perpetrators. Personally, I think the Justice Minister herself should be fined every time Reliance loses a prisoner, and that the money goes toward the victims. Once she's got no money left, she'll be forced to get rid of that damn un-reliable company.

Why hasn't Jack McConnell fired her useless ass, and theirs yet? Someone had better come up with some answers soon.