What were Bridewell prisons mainly used for

The punishment of the disorderly poor and housing of homeless children

Explanation:The former was due to Edward VI, who gave the palace to the City of London as a hospital, orphanage and prison. Later it was used mainly for the short-term confinement and punishment of petty offenders and those who were regarded as anti-social misfits, such as vagrants, itinerants, vagabonds and loose women