The statistics on recidivism, criminals who reoffend, have been published by the Scottish Parliament.

Stewart Stevenson, SNP member for Banff and Buchan, asked the Scottish Executive for figures on percentages of male and female prisoners reconvicted after being discharged. The answer, by justice minister Cathy Jamieson, provided some startling statistics.

They were for the most recent period available — people discharged from custody in 1999 who had been reconvicted by 2001 or 2003.

In Scotland, 303 women were released from prison in 1999 and 61% of them had been reconvicted by 2001 and 72% by 2003.

In Tayside, 20 women were released but 60% of them were reconvicted by 2001 and 80% by 2003 — in the latter case the highest rate in Scotland.

In Fife, 12 females were released from prison and only 8% of them were reconvicted of offences by 2001 and 33% by 2003 — in both cases the lowest rates in Scotland. Nationally, the crimes of which the women were convicted included violence, dishonesty, criminal damage and other offences.

The greatest amount of re-conviction was with dishonesty —147 females discharged with re-conviction rates of 73% and 82%.

There were 5435 men discharged from custody in 1999, but 60% had been reconvicted by 2001 and 71% by 2003.

The equivalent figures for Tayside were 355 prisoners discharged and reconviction rates of 59% and 68%.

In Fife, the figures were 259 prisoners discharged and reconviction rates of 59% and 68%, the same as Tayside.

Nationally the highest figures were for dishonesty, with 2240 discharges and reconviction rates of 76% and 84%. The other categories were for violence, indecency, criminal damage and other offences. The figures exclude motor vehicle offences and convictions of Scots outwith Scotland.

A law expert contacted by the Evening Telegraph said there could be a number of reasons for the figures, but one of hem could be the sentencing policies in courts across the country.

“You could find that courts which sentence only the most hardened criminals to prison will have a high rate of re-conviction because these criminals are reluctant to mend their ways and will continue re-offending,” he explained.

“Alternatively, courts which send medium and low-grade criminals to prison as well as hardened criminals might have lower rates of re-conviction because the medium and low-grade criminals will be so affected by the prison experience that they will not re-offend.

“These figures probably throw open the question of what type of criminals should be sent to prison and which policy works best.”