PRISONERS have been asked to keep diaries documenting their lives behind bars as part of an investigation by a city MP.

John Denham, wants accurate details of the amount of time inmates spend studying, working, eating, exercising and sleeping.

He is leading a probe into the quality of training and education in British jails - and whether the system helps prisoners find jobs on their release.

Mr Denham, chairman of the Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee, has sent 3,000 diaries out to six prisons and young offenders institutions.

He said: "It is the biggest survey of its kind ever carried out. The committee wanted to get a picture of how offenders are spending their time behind bars. Is it productive or are they just languishing in prison?

"We are comparing what should be going on in terms of training and education with what is actually happening."

Labour MP Mr Denham, who represents Southampton Itchen, will study the diaries and record the findings for inclusion in a Parliamentary report. It is expected to be published later this year.

Research has shown that inmates who do not receive good quality training while they see out their sentences are more likely to return to the dole queue and fall back into offending.

Improving their skills means they can find work and steer clear of crime.

Earlier this year, Mr Denham suggested prisoners could prepare for their release by studying lorry driving courses to take advantage of a predicted 12,000 shortage of truckers in the UK. He has also visited jails in Sweden and Germany during a five-day trip with the home affairs committee.

At Berlin's Tegel Prison, the ex-minister found 70 per cent of inmates spent their day in workshops making clothes, toys and other goods. The 15 per cent of prisoners who were in the lowest risk category worked on a day-release basis.

Mr Denham said he was very impressed by the scheme.