YOUNG criminals are to be offered paid apprenticeships as an alternative to prison under plans to tackle overcrowding in jails.

The proposals, endorsed by Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, will allow those facing sentences of up to six months to opt instead for traineeships in carpentry, bricklaying and plumbing.

Those who breached conditions imposed by the courts, by failing to turn up for work, being repeatedly late or committing further offences, would be sent to jail to serve out their sentences.

Architects of the scheme believe that it will prevent thousands of young criminals from becoming trapped in a cycle of crime and prison by providing them with the opportunity to pursue a career.

Scotland has one of Europe’s highest recidivism rates with 60% of those released from jail reoffending within two years. Its 15 prisons are housing 7,300 prisoners at present, 12% more than they were designed to hold.

The country also has a shortage of qualified tradesmen — more than 18,000 jobs are estimated to be vacant because of a skills gap.

Eric Jackson, a non-executive director of the Scottish Prison Service and social work spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said offering petty criminals the chance to do an apprenticeship would remove them from often chaotic lifestyles and set them on a more stable course.

“This is not a soft option but we have to consider other ways of dealing with criminals. The general public want this nagging, aggravating (criminal) behaviour to stop,” he said.

“While for some people prison is the only option, for many it is not the right place to be.”

Millions of pounds are spent encouraging inmates to learn new skills, but there is a widespread belief that providing the tools to learn a new trade in the community is far more likely to reduce reoffending.

Last year Jamieson announced plans for eight new Community Justice Authorities (CJAs), which will come into force next April, to improve the way that councils work with the police, the National Health Service, the Scottish Prison Service and the Crown Office.

Each authority will develop its own proposals on ways to manage offenders and reduce reoffending.

Last year the average daily remand population in Scotland’s prisons was about 1,250. More than 2,200 short-term adult prisoners — defined as those sentenced to less than four years — were recorded.

However, the idea of apprenticeships has been criticised as a “soft option” which will do nothing to curb criminal behaviour.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “There’s nothing wrong in alternatives to custody and rehabilitating convicts but we have to avoid coming up with schemes which are designed to empty prisons.

“We mustn’t lose sight of the place that prisons play in our justice system.”

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