Cox admitted recently.

She said: "We need more effective rehabilitation programmes and we need more adequate programmes in prison.

"You have to look at counselling and make sure you have qualified people to assess and identify people if they are a danger to the community.

"Currently case managers look at inmates imprisoned for more than six months to assess their educational background and what remedial help they need and what they need to change.

"We need to improve the process.

"The prison inspector said it wasn't bad, but there was scope for improvement on education and rehabilitation.'' Prisons Commissioner Edward Dyer added: "In the past we used to concentrate on the academics and vocational things, but we really left out the reasons they came in the first place.

"We're not forgetting about education, but in the past we were providing a good education as opposed to addressing the criminal behaviour so a lot of the thrust is how to address the causes of why they behave like they do.

"If someone is a serious addict and he steals to support the habit and you address the habit, the criminal behaviour will disappear.

"You always get people who are recalcitrant to the extent where they are not going to do anything.''