Welsh women prisoners have a high risk of self harm

And, the Prison Reform Trust says the picture is particularly grim for women in Wales, as there are no facilities here for holding them which means they are often placed in jails hundreds of miles from their families.

Sir David said prisoners, both women and men, held in custody near their families would get the family support they needed and would be less likely to re-offend.

Without this Enver Solomon, a spokesman for the Prison Reform Trust said women can "withdraw into themselves and sink into depression".

"In the worst scenario it leads to cases of self harm and even suicide," he added.

In the first six month of 2003, 10 female inmates in England jails killed themselves and there were nearly 3,000 cases of self harm among women.

In fact, the Prison Reform Trust said that women inmates were nearly 18 times more likely to harm themselves than male prisoners.

Sir David, who stepped down from the prisons watchdog post after six years in August 2001, was addressing the annual conference of the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Sir David Ramsbotham: "Local prisons will cut crime."

"We need to tackle the causes of crime and also ensure that prison is a real chance for people to rehabilitate," he added.

"I believe this can only be done with the introduction of local 'community' prisons, ensuring that criminals do not lose contact with their roots."