Decade sees 400% increase in female prisoners over 50 in Scotland

Drink-fuelled violence on the streets and a sharp rise in shoplifting are partly responsible for a substantial increase in the number of women imprisoned in Scotland, according to crime experts.

Scotish government figures have shown that 1,025 women were jailed last year, the highest total on record. Figures showed 484 woman aged 21-30 were sentenced, while the number of women over 50-years-old has risen 400% in the past decade.

Dr Kenneth Scott, director of the centre for criminal justice and police studies at the University of the West of Scotland, said that studies have shown that woman have become more assertive and are more likely to commit crimes more traditionally associated with men.

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