Purpose of prisons in Scotland

• Protect


  Society must be protected from violent and persistent offenders by locking dangerous people away
• Punish


  To make the offender suffer and pay for what they have done, with the punishment matching the crime
• Rehabilitate


  Prisons should be aimed at changing the character of the criminal so that they keep within the law in future - providing ways for people to change their behaviour
• Deter


  Prison is there as a purpose of discouraging the offender, and others, from committing crimes by taking away people's freedom as a consequence