Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each type of crime. Others however, argue that the circumstances of an individual crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be taken into account when deciding on the punishment. Discuss this both views and give your opinion.

People have different opinions about whether punishments for different crimes should be fixed, or the circumstances surrounding the offence or the motivation of an offender should be considered. I believe that before deciding on the judgement of a criminal, the factors around his or her crime should be examined. On one hand, some people believe that all criminals should have a fixed judgement. They believe that if breaking the law has a standard punishment, it would deter criminals from offending and reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.
Also
, punishing offenders based on a fixed criteria would help prevent manipulation of the law by offenders.
For example
, regarding the laws concerning speeding on roads has a clear and concise repercussion.
This
would make it difficult for drivers to successfully lie about their reasons for speeding.
Hence
, the incidence of road traffic accidents has reduced.
On the other hand
, I am of the opinion that various factors contribute to crime and these should be taken into account before punishing an offender.
For example
, a poor father could steal some food to feed his hungry family. In
such
a case, it would be unfair to pass a fixed judgement, without empathising with his motive.
Also
,
also
young be people are usually young and naive they should not be made to serve a jail term like adults would.
For instance
, when a child is caught abusing illegal drugs, it is better to send the child to a rehabilitating
home
Suggestion
homes
than prison. In conclusion, while some people believe that the punishment for all illegal actions should be fixed. It seems to me that the factors and motive of an offender should
also
be taken into consideration before punishing them.
Submitted by Dammy on

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • fixed punishments
  • consistency
  • predictability
  • deter crime
  • potential offenders
  • streamline
  • judicial process
  • bias
  • corruption
  • complexity
  • human behavior
  • circumstances
  • justice system
  • intent
  • remorse
  • socio-economic background
  • rehabilitate offenders
  • recidivism rates
  • flexible punishment systems
  • inconsistencies
  • perceived injustices
  • public trust
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