The report from the Equal Opportunities Committee also claims that women receive harsher sentencing than men.

It recommends changes to the sentencing and treatment of women with mental health problems – estimated to make up more than 80% of the prison population – and questions why so many women are still being locked up.

The report, titled Female Offenders in the Criminal Justice System, assessed women’s experience of prison and ways to curb re-offending.

It suggests that 1%-2% of women inmates should be receiving psychiatric care and a further 10% should be treated in the community because their problems are more to do with mental health than offending.

It recommends improved language and literacy services at Cornton Vale and says more could and should be done to rehabilitate women in prison, 44% of whom suffer language problems.

It also highlights the importance of improving relationships between imprisoned mothers and their children and warns that around half of them will end up behind bars themselves.

There are an estimated 16,000 children of prisoners in Scotland and some two-thirds of the women in Cornton Vale are mothers.

Tam Baillie, Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner, recently called for a statutory obligation on sheriffs and judges to take into account the human rights of an accused’s children.

The committee called for a re-examination of the way women with mental health problems are sentenced by the courts to minimise the number of such women being imprisoned.

The committee also heard evidence that some women see prison as a sanctuary and are committing offences specifically to get into prison to escape difficult lives.

Margaret Mitchell MSP, the committee convener, said: “While the report’s focus is on female offenders this does not mean that the committee is not interested in male offenders or that it considers female offenders should be treated more favourably than male offenders.

“However, there is clear evidence that in some situations men and women should be treated differently. The committee learned that women’s experiences of the criminal justice system are different from men’s and that some of these differences may stem from or result in discrimination or inequality.

“Given this, more action needs to be taken by the Scottish Government and other public bodies to prevent re-offending by female offenders, by fully addressing their needs and individual circumstances.

“Members of the committee were deeply concerned to hear that some women deliberately commit offences purely to access the services provided in Cornton Vale prison.”

Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, claimed in August that chauvinism within Scotland’s political and judicial systems was partly responsible for the high number of women in prison.

He suggested that women were treated more harshly because society “did not expect women” to commit crimes.

The number of female inmates in Scotland has surged by 90% in the past 10 years, compared to a 16% rise in the number of men in jail.

In evidence Mr MacAskill said: “The SPS does not exist to provide respite care. I am not being flippant when I say that if that is what you want to provide, it would be cheaper and better to do so at Stobo Castle or similar than at Cornton Vale prison.”