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 both these views and give your own opinion.

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 both these views and give your own opinion.

Crime

is a pervasive problem in most countries around the world. Some people support the opinion that there should be a standardised approach to punishing it regardless of the seriousness of the offence.

However

, others disagree as they believe that while prosecuting criminals, we should consider their

reasons

for breaching the law and their background.

This

essay will examine

this

question from both points of view and

then

I will give my own perspective on the matter. On the

one

hand, having

one

approach while sentencing any type of a felony,

for instance

, imprisonment, is beneficial for the following

reasons

.

Firstly

, it serves as a deterrence of

crime

. Before anyone breaks a law, they may fear incarceration and

thus

refrain from committing a

crime

. Another obvious benefit is the change in the perception of

crime

. If all criminal offences are punished in the same fixed way,

then

a clear distinction between a misdemeanour and violent murder will be blurred.

Instead

, there might be

one

interpretation of a criminal offence – any type of

crime

will be treated as a major

one

. And

this

may lead to an overall decrease in the

crime

rate.

On the other hand

, it is essential to consider the motive and the

circumstances

under which

one

violates a law.

For example

, a police officer who injures a suspect during a lawful arrest may be immune from prosecution because they were acting in the course of official duties. Another reason why a person chooses to engage in criminal conduct could be poverty. Individuals who are unable to earn enough to meet their basic needs get frustrated and stressed, leading them to commit crimes of despair. There are

reasons

why many think that the accused should be either excused from any legal responsibility due to mitigating

circumstances

surrounding the offence. In conclusion, I believe that both groups of people arguing for and against fixed punishments

,

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have their

reasons

.

However

, I think that penalties should be decided according to the varying

circumstances

of criminals.