Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, yesterday said young offenders should be provided with "intensive support" in order to prevent reoffending.

He said the Scottish Government wanted to explore "genuine alternatives" to custody for young people to help reduce Scotland's high prison population.

But while he stressed that youngsters should be given more opportunities to reform, he said there were still some for whom custody is the best option. Speaking in Glasgow, where he attended the opening of the new offices of rehabilitation charity Includem at Shettleston in the city's east end, Mr MacAskill said: "We have to distinguish between the bad lads and the daft lads. There are some cases where secure accommodation is the best option for young people who have broken the law - both for their protection and for others.

"But the government is for intensive support and monitoring as a genuine alternative to secure accommodation."

Angela Morgan, Includem's chief executive, said that "significant improvements" had been made among young offenders who had been supported by the charity.