PRISONERS will be allowed to send emails to friends and relatives under plans to improve communication for Scotland's 8000 inmates.

Strict rules have traditionally governed the way prisoners contact the outside world, with letter writing being the main method for hundreds of years.

However, technology appears to be getting a foothold in the prison estate with a system that allows emails to be sent to inmates now likely to expand into a two-way service.

Fourteen prisons in Scotland now subscribe to the "Email a Prisoner" scheme that sees a message sent through the organisation's website, with prison staff then printing off the emails and delivering them to inmates on a daily basis.

Supporters say it allows prisoners to receive mail within up to four hours of it being sent, instead of a matter of days.

The organisation now wants to go further and see prisoners' return mail sent electronically to speed up communication further.

Concerns have been raised about possible abuse of the system should prisoners be allowed access to computers. However, the organisation said the starting model would involve prisoners hand writing letters as normal, with the messages scanned in by staff before being sent by email.

Barlinnie Prison, on the outskirts of Glasgow, is one of two jails in the UK interested in introducing the enhanced service. Arshaq Ahmad, unit manager at the prison, said around 40 to 50 prisoners received emails every day. He said: "It works very well and very simply and the scheme is very popular throughout the prison estate.

"It is particularly popular with foreign national prisoners and it is used by the legal profession, on occasion, to send non-privileged information.

"We know the company is looking at Barlinnie for the two-way service. If it did meet all our security criteria, it is something we would certainly consider."

Mr Ahmad said prisoner access to the internet and email was forbidden, with games consoles linked to the internet also forbidden. He said good family contact for prisoners led to a reduced likelihood of re-offending, better behaviour inside plus a reduced likelihood of self harm.

"You also have to think of the families on the outside. Why would you want to punish them? They should have as much communication as possible with those inside," he added.

The Email a Prisoner scheme was set up by Derek Jones, of Bath, who spent two spells in prison, one on remand. He said: "It basically enables people to maintain family ties in an up-to-date way, without having to wait for three to four days to hear anything back."

Mr Jones, who said contact with home was not a "perk" for prisoners, also argued the email service benefited security as it gave staff more time to process mail coming through the traditional route and check it for drugs and other forbidden items.

The Scottish Prison Service said it welcomed any proposal that improved contact with family members, one of three key areas to reduce re-offending, alongwith stable housing and employment.