The prisoner survey gives us insight  into the lives of various prisoner groups based on data gathered through a prison census.

Some key findings in relation to females in Scottish prisons include:

The average age of a female in prison in Scotland is 33 years.
15% were on remand and 85% were convicted.
30% of women were in care as a child
High numbers of people in prison made access to medical services and jobs in prison more difficult.
50% of women reported being drunk at the time of their offence
28% of women reported that drinking had affected their ability to maintain a job 

Read more here: Prisoner Survey 2013 - Female Offenders