Most jail terms under six months

Many Scottish prisons are overcrowded

The number of people sent to prison in Scotland last year was the highest in a decade.

But the vast majority of the 18,200 people jailed spent six months or less behind bars, government figures show.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has said that short sentences are one of the reasons Scotland's prisons are so full.

He is to bring forward an action plan in a bid to see more minor offenders given community sentences.

The figures, released by the Scottish Government, showed more offenders were sent to prison than were given non-custodial alternatives like probation or community service, bucking a recent trend towards community sentences.

More than 80% of those sent to prison in Scotland in the past year received sentences of six months or less, with the average sentence just seven months.

'Waste of time'

The total number of people criminal proceedings were taken against also rose by 5% to 154,000 compared to last year.

Mr MacAskill maintains that re-offending levels are lower for those who carry out community penalties and that they must play an increasing part in penal policy.

However, he has stressed that prisons will remain the correct place for serious and dangerous offenders to be kept.

Last week, former prison governor Professor Alec Spencer described short prison sentences of less than six months as an expensive waste of time.

The new statistics also reveal that 15% of all offences were committed by someone out on bail, and that 7% of all 18-year-old men were convicted of at least one offence. 65% of those appearing in court had at least one previous conviction.

Revenue from fixed penalty parking notices and vehicle removals totalled �13.6m.

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