HUNDREDS of women are still being sent to jail on “Victorian era” short term sentences despite a report warning they were of little use five years ago, according to the LibDems.

The Liberal Democrats have highlighted figures that show the number of women sentenced to three months or less has remained the same since 2012.

Last year (2015/16) there were 487 women sentenced to three or fewer months. In 2012/13 it was 488.

The number sent to jail for between three and six months was 427 in the last year compared to 501 for the earlier period.

The LibDems say the figures show that women are still not being treated fairly by the justice system despite the report by former Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini, stating “short-term prison sentences have little or no impact on reoffending”.

The party is calling for further progress on implementing the Angiolini Report recommendations and for a presumption against prison sentences of 12 months or less, favouring community based sentencing instead.

Liam McArthur, LibDem justice spokesman, said: “This new analysis shows that the justice system remains fundamentally unfair to women.

“The use of senseless short-term sentences and remand remains rife. The number of women given the shortest stints hasn’t changed a jot.

“The continued over-reliance on prison belongs in the Victorian era.

“That is why it is so important that we realise the potential for the Angiolini Report to be a game-changer in the shift towards community justice.”

He said the Scottish Government was warned last month by the independent Scottish Working Group on Women’s Offending on a lack of progress implementing the report recommendations.

Mr McArthur added that 4,000 women have been sent to prison on short-term sentences since the Angiolini Report was published.

He also said David Strang, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, also recently warned that “much work is required” to reduce the number of women in custody within the planned timescale.

Mr McArthur added sentences of under one year should be ruled out in most cases

He said “This must be part of a much broader package of reform. That is why ministers should also be clear about what progress is being made against Angiolini’s recommendations and what they expect to achieve.

“Without this, there is a risk the justice system will fail thousands more women unnecessarily.”