Some people think that certain prisoners should be made to do unpaid community work instead of being put behind bars. To what extent do you agree?

It is thought by some that offenders of certain crimes ought to engage in volunteer

work

rather than spending time in prison. In my opinion, I entirely agree with

this

statement from economic and employment perspectives.

Firstly

, prisoners being involved in community

work

have a positive economic impact on society. A certain portion of the tax is allocated to prisons in order to provide inmates with food, clothing, accommodation and medical care. For

this

reason, if they engaged in unpaid

work

, it would be an effective way for them to cover their own living expenses. In Japan,

for instance

, approximately 1500 Japanese yen is spent in a day on one convict, which could easily be compensated for through a few hours of unpaid public

work

,

such

as plumbing and trimming of roadside shrubs.

Secondly

, community

work

during the period of imprisonment is beneficial to inmates as it prepares them to find employment when they are released. Participating in volunteer

work

outside of prison offers opportunities for convicts to acquire useful skills required in a workplace,

thus

increasing their chance of successfully being employed after serving their sentence.

For example

, by delivering meals to the disabled, inmates could improve their time management and communication skills.

This

point is especially significant considering the high recidivism rate for criminals whose motive was the lack of financial security. In conclusion, I strongly support the idea that prisoners should do community

work

to compensate for the cost of accommodating them in prison as well as to help them develop skills. It is crucial that the justice system ensure a supportive environment for ex-convicts who are trying to reintegrate into society.