Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would

therefore

be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service

instead

. I agree that in some cases, jail may not be the best solution and

society

Suggestion

society's

duty would probably have more benefits. One justification given for prisons is to keep

society

safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the

first

thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from

society

.

However

, burglary or possession of drugs,

for example

, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the centre. Keeping these types of criminals in the penitentiary is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same violation again when they come out of confinement. Personally, I

also

believe punishments should reform people so they do not offend. A

further

reason not to put these people in jail is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse violation when they are released. By keeping them with the people, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could

also

develop more empathy and care towards others. If

this

occurs, public can only benefit. Critics of

this

more rehabilitative approach to the case believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that peoples' duty could be less likely to have that effect.

However

, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals. In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to the community in the penitentiary is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Public duty for non-violent crimes benefits both

society

and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether

society business

Accept comma addition

society, business

or penitentiary is more likely to stop someone offending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.