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Band 7.5

Some people believe the purpose of prison is to punish, while others would argue that rehabilitation is its primary role. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

#people #purpose #prison #rehabilitation #role
Some argue that the aim of prison is punishment, while others say that its main role is rehabilitation.
This
 essay agrees that the reason for prison is to punish.
This
 essay will discuss both points of view. For centuries, the idea of prisons has been associated with punishment. Over the world, it has been and continues to be a common practice to imprison people for their crimes. Imprisonment is the best way to penalize people for their offences and
this
 sends a clear message to the people of a country, that their unlawful acts would result in them being imprisoned.
This
 idea instills a sense of fear in people, which in turn, prevents them from committing criminal activities.
For example
, a report by a Nigerian journalist dated several years back stated that the country had seen a decline in the crime rate as an increasing number of people were being imprisoned for their crimes.
However
, some disagree and feel that the primary purpose of prison is to provide rehabilitation. While
this
 could be true in some of the cases, largely it has proved to be false. Most of the criminals who are sentenced to imprisonment view the facility as a place to stay until their term comes to an end. During the time that convicts spend in jail, they rarely reflect on their actions and seek ways to improve themselves. To illustrate, a thirty-two year old man who was jailed previously for thieving, was caught trying to break into an apartment to steal after he was released from jail.
This
 proves that prisons are not the best place to rehabilitate themselves. In conclusion, prisons rarely serve as rehabilitation facilities and
hence
, the main purpose of prisons is to punish people. In my opinion, the punishment should be the key aim of imprisonment as more often than not, it is the fear of being punished over feeling any sense of guilt that prevents people from committing criminal acts.
Submitted by zeba_spice on

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Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
    • Sentence 1 - Background statement
    • Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
    • Sentence 3 - Thesis
    • Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
    • Sentence 1 - Summary
    • Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
    • Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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