NEARLY 6,800 offences were committed in just 12 months by prisoners leaving the region's jails after short sentences, new figures have revealed.

More than 70 per cent of inmates released from most prisons - after less than one year behind bars - went on to carry out further crimes.

And the average reoffender from one prison - Low Newton, in Brasside, County Durham - was responsible for 7.5 fresh offences, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) statistics show.

The crime spree was revealed as ministers pledged a dramatic overhaul to end the "depressing merry-go-round" of former inmates being hauled back before the courts.

Currently, short-sentence prisoners leave the gates with no more than "a 46 wage and the hope they won't be back soon", a Government source said.

Now every prisoner - even those jailed for just a few days - will be given a 12-month compulsory supervision order, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced.

They could be prevented from moving to a different area and required to take compulsory tests for class B drugs such as cannabis.

And, controversially, charities and private companies such as G4S or Serco will bid for payment-by-results contracts that will reward them for keeping ex-prisoners out of court.

The public probation service will be responsible for supervising only high-risk offenders and issues involving public protection.

Mr Grayling told MPs: "The biggest failing of the current system is that those with the highest reoffending rates get the least rehabilitation. Our plans put that right.

"For the first time in recent history, every offender released from custody will receive at least a year of supervision and rehabilitation in the community."

Darlington MP, Jenny Chapman, Labour's prisons spokeswoman, said she supported the supervision measures, but raised concerns about the possible involvement of private security firms.

"Everybody will remember the chaos that surrounded the Olympics security contract with G4S," she said.

"We need to remember that some of the individuals being supervised may have committed horrendous crimes and I think it would be better to keep the supervision of individuals as the responsibility of one public sector organisation."

The MoJ figures, for 2010-11, showed that just over 58 per cent of prisoners who served less than 12 months were found guilty of a fresh offence within a year.

But that re-offending rate was much higher at North-East jails, at Durham (76.8 per cent), Deerbolt, County Durham (73.1 per cent), Holme House, Stockton (70.9 per cent) and Low Newton (70.6 per cent).

A total of 6,788 offences were committed, with the highest number by prisoners from Durham (2,284), Holme House (2,439) and Low Newton (1,043).

Under Mr Grayling's plans, ex-prisoners are likely to be forced to wear a new generation of GPS satellite tracking tags.

And they will have to comply with a programme of support on housing, employment, training and alcohol and drug treatment - or face being recalled to jail.