Under-fire security firm G4S has been awarded a £13m scheme to track offenders by the Scottish Government.
The contract was the first public sector deal the company had won since its much maligned handling of the London 2012 Olympics.
On Friday, as the deal was confirmed, G4S was facing calls to give up its £57m management fee, part of its £250m Games security contract, after it failed to recruit anywhere near enough staff to cover the event.
The deal announced by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill involves the firm using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to "continuously track offenders' whereabouts in order to monitor compliance with restrictions handed down by the authorities".
This is a move from current radio frequency technology used on tags placed on some criminals as part of court sentences.
Mr MacAskill said: "The award of this contract allows us to utilise the very latest technology to keep our communities safe. Using satellite tracking rather than just radio frequency technology to ensure offenders comply with the strict terms of their release into the community is a significant step forward. It gives our law enforcement agencies greater tools in their armoury and as the world's leading provider of this technology, G4S have a proven track record in this area.
"The vast majority of offenders abide by the terms of the restrictions placed on them upon release into the community. However, for the minority, we want to ensure we do everything we can to deter them from stepping out of line."
G4S was blamed by MPs on Friday for the debacle surrounding Olympic security earlier this year, which saw thousands of troops brought in at the last minute to help secure the Games.
Exonerating Olympic organisers Locog, the Home Office and everybody else, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee said even G4S agreed it was the only one at fault in its handling of the contract.
During several Olympic football games played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Strathclyde Police decided to oversee security because of concerns over G4S’s ability to staff the events properly.
The five-year contract Scottish Government contract, which begins in April 2013, comes after G4S recently won a ten-year prisoner transportation contract from Reliance in January this year, which it stated is worth £25m per annum.
G4S has also refused to rule out bidding for the security contract for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
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