Plan for mixed-sex jails considered

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Male and female inmates would be housed together and nearer their homes as part of the proposals.

The Herald newspaper reported that talks were under way to devise purpose-built centres which would hold remand and convicted prisoners of both sexes.

It said the new approach would be tested first at HMP Grampian, which is due to be built on the existing site of Peterhead Prison and set to open in 2012.

Ian Gunn, governor of Cornton Vale, Scotland's only female prison, said he would back the scheme as long as appropriate facilities were provided for women.

He told The Herald: "Ideally we would shake up the whole population and move them to the nearest place to where they will live when they leave prison."

Mr Gunn added: "In future we would not need a Cornton Vale of 400 females. You might have a population of just 100."

Scotland's prison population increased every year this century and is projected to reach 8,700 inmates by 2016.

Earlier this month a report by the Scottish Prison Commission called for the prison population to be cut to 5,000 within a decade.