Alternatives to prison are effective

• One argument that prisons are effective is because the reoffending rates in prison are high. When someone goes to jail they may lose their job meaning when they get out they commit crimes to survive. An alternative like a fine could let someone keep their job while also paying for their crime. For example, the Scottish Government has had to ban courts from issuing short sentences of 12 months or less as over half of offenders given short term sentences are re-convicted and 39% of prisoners are back within a year.
• Another argument that prisons are effective is because its cheaper than prison. It costs a lot of money to keep someone in prison, feeding them etc so instead giving someone a punishment like a Home Detention Curfew could save the government as the offender still can work and earn to look after themself. For example, according to the Scottish Government it costs around £35,000 a year to keep someone in prison in 2019.
• A final argument that prisons are effective is because it can prevent overcrowding in prison. Many of Scotland's prisons are over capacity which can mean that with more prisoners than offenders have more people to learn criminal activity from but with a Community Payback Order the offender can do more for the community they have harmed. For example, Janine O'Neil spoke about how spending so much of her youth in prison saw her learn more about committing crimes than being a positive member of society.