What was a primary purpose of the historical workhouses established in the past?

The historical workhouses were primarily established to detain vagrants. During the time when these institutions were developed, societal views on poverty and unemployment were quite different from today. Workhouses served as a means to control and manage the population of homeless individuals and those without sufficient means to support themselves. By detaining vagrants, these facilities aimed to provide a structured environment where individuals could work in exchange for basic needs such as food and shelter.

This practice reflected the societal belief that vagrancy was a moral failing and that individuals should contribute to the community by working, even under less than ideal conditions. The focus was more on controlling and reforming behavior rather than on rehabilitation as understood in contemporary correctional approaches. Other options, such as providing military training or rehabilitating violent offenders, did not align with the core mission of workhouses, which was centered primarily on managing those deemed as societal burdens. Housing government officials was also not relevant to the primary function of workhouses, as these institutions were not designed for such purposes.