Alternatives to prison

• One alternative punishment that can be used in Scotland is a fine. Offenders are sometimes ordered to pay a fine or compensation to a victim which means they must pay the money from their own income depending on the crime. For example, during the Covid-19 Pandemic the police were able to fine people who left their homes during the lockdown if they didn't have a reasonable excuse for being out.
• Another alternative punishment that can be used in Scotland is a Community Payback Order. Offenders are ordered to carry out up to 300 hours of community service - "paying back" to a community they might have damaged which might involve repairing damage or cleaning up an area. For example, Mark McLean was put on a CPO in 2020 for racist assault.
• A final alternative punishment that can be used in Scotland is a Home Detention Curfew (tag). The offender may serve their sentence but at home under certain curfew conditions. This could be that they have stayed within a specific address for around 12 hours every night and this is monitored by an "electronic tag". For example, James Wright has been put on HDC after having been found carrying a knife.