Some people think that the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others, however, believe there are better alternative ways of reducing crime. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Crime
is a serious and growing problem in most societies.
Although
many people believe that the best way to tackle
this
is to place people in
prison
for longer periods, others are of the opinion that other measures will be more effective. There are benefits of giving offenders longer
prison
sentences.
Firstly
, spending a long time in
prison
provides an opportunity for the
prison
services to rehabilitate a prisoner.
For example
, someone who has committed a serious offence
such
as assault will need a long time in
prison
in order to be sure they can be re-educated not to re-offend.
In addition
to
this
, longer
prison
sentences will act as a deterrent for someone who is thinking of committing a
crime
.
However
, some people argue that leaving people in
prison
for a long time means that they will mix with other criminals and so their character will not improve. One alternative is community service.
This
gives an offender the opportunity to give something positive back to society, and so it may improve their character.
Also
, the government could focus its resources on the causes of
crime
, which would lead to less
crime
in the future. In my opinion, it is important to look at alternative methods. Many countries have lengthy
prison
sentences, but
crime
has continued to increase throughout the world, so it is clear that
this
is not completely effective. That said, long
prison
sentences should remain for those who commit serious crimes
such
as assault or murder, as justice for the victim and their family should take priority. To conclude, there are good arguments for and against long sentences, so governments must continue to research the various methods of
crime
reduction to ensure effective policies are in place.

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    • Sentence 2 - Example
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    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
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