Helping prisoners find homes, work and keep in touch with families has contributed to a sharp reduction in reoffending rates, according to a report on a new scheme.

A partnership between the Scottish Prison Service and several charities has cut reconviction rates among those taking part at HMP Low Moss in Bishopbriggs to less than 17 per cent.

While around two thirds of the male, short term, habitual offenders largely housed at the jail would normally be returned to custody within a year, 83 per cent of those taking part in the prison's Public Social Partnership (PSP) do not return.

An independent evaluation of the PSP, which was launched in 2013, also found that 42 per cent of prisoners reported a reduction in substance misuse and risk taking and 51 per cent said they engaged in less criminal behaviour.

Just under 20 per cent of those taking part had found a job of some kind.

Social care charity Turning Point has led the charities involved, which also include community safety charity Sacro and Action for Children.

Workers from the prison and the charities team up to address the complex problems in prisoners backgrounds which might cause them to reoffend.

Lack of suitable housing, friends or income were among the issues which the project has been able to address, giving prisoners a better chance of starting afresh. The PSP has seen prison officers working beyond the prison gates in communities and charities ensuring there are no gaps in support which make it easier for former prisoners to backslide after they have been freed.

Turning Point Scotland Chief Executive Martin Cawley said:“The evaluation shows, providing a clear, consistent pathway of through care support for individuals has major benefits towards reducing reoffending.

The partnership approach enables us to pool our resources and create a much more integrated approach that is more likely to succeed.

And of course any reduction in reoffending not only improves the lives of individuals, their families and their communities but reduces the burden on the public purse.”

HMP Low Moss Governor David Abernethy said the PSP scheme had shown how easy it was for 'cracks in the pavement' to open up when people leave prison. Some slipped between the cracks in support on offer, while others were only to happy to dive into them, he explained.

"I hope we can address some of the issues highlighted so that short term prisoners leaving our prison can benefit to an even greater degree from the service provided," he said. "In this way more prisoners will go out to more positive destinations and the likelihood of them lapsing into old ways will reduce and therefore there will be fewer victims of crime and Scotland can be a safer and more productive place."

He said it was a fantastic example of the benefits of collaboration, and added: "The sharing of expertise has provided unique opportunities for learning between organisations that has clearly contributed to positive outcomes for people making the transition back to their community.”