Criminals who are issued with a community service order will now be placed more quickly due to additional funding, the Scottish Government has said.

An extra £1 million has been made available for 2009/10 for Community Justice Authorities to recruit extra staff to implement the orders. The money is ringfenced and its impact will be audited by COSLA and the Scottish Government.

The Government believes these additional resources will allow for more efficient processing of community service orders, which are a key part of its approach to reducing prison overcrowding and the current burden on the criminal justice system.

"Low level offenders should be paying back the harm they have caused to communities through the sweat of their brow. Taxpayers shouldn't have to foot the bill for their free bed and board in prison," Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said.

"I believe tough community penalties are key to having a more coherent penal policy – where the punishment fits the crime. To make them as effective as possible they need to be delivered swiftly and consistently.

"The extra funding will allow extra staff to be employed and help make sure offenders sentenced to community payback aren't waiting for a placement to become available. This funding will help make sure they can start paying back more quickly."

Harry McGuigan, COSLA's communities spokesperson, welcomed the announcement and called for community service to "provide a real focus on payback tailored to the needs of the community as well as the offender".

"Moreover, investment in community-based sentences is vital to enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system, and these are best delivered by local partnerships to ensure the effective provision of services that will positively affect behaviours of offenders and help to reassure the communities concerned," he added.

The announcement was made at a community centre for disabled people in Paisley, which has benefited from construction and gardening work completed under community service orders.