A longer prison term as a way of punishing those who break the law is not as good as other methods. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The necessity of prison sentences as a means of punishing lawbreakers is a focal point of contemporary societal discussions.
While
some
people
attach more importance to extended incarceration, I would contend that alternative approaches are more effective in fostering long-term societal harmony.
Community
service should be taken into consideration as a better method as it may turn
offenders
into law-abiding citizens. A
Community
Order requires
offenders
to perform a number of tasks for the
community
,
such
as cleaning streets, tending public gardens, and removing graffiti, which can foster a sense of responsibility.
This
can prevent reoffending as these
people
may become accustomed to acting as meaningful members of communities, rather than individuals who do something harmful or destructive to society.
Moreover
, probation is a replaced approach to imprisonment for some as it allows lawbreakers to live a normal life. Some
people
commit criminal acts on the spur of the moment and their
behaviour
does not pose a serious risk to the
community
.
Therefore
, the court could offer them an opportunity to correct their mistakes,
such
as attending school or receiving vocational training for future careers, rather than casting a long shadow on their careers that reduces their chance to reintegrate into society ordinarily.
However
, in case law-breaking
behaviour
is ingrained and cannot be modified, a prolonged period of incarceration could be deemed as the best choice. When light punishments could not act as deterrents to efficiently prohibit criminal
behaviour
, the court could impose extended sentences on
offenders
with a history of violent crimes to diminish the potential harm they pose to the
community
. Violent criminals,
for instance
, who repeatedly assault innocent
people
, are likely to recommit crime after being punished. Given that, the implementation of extended imprisonment can deprive them of their freedom and obstruct them from habitually engaging in unlawful activity to safeguard public safety. In conclusion, I consider that a harsh penalty is not the best corrective measure for
offenders
unless they have multiple criminal offences on their record. The justice system should strive to change individuals’
behaviour
and guide them to act as productive members of society.
Submitted by chungoc2001 on

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • rehabilitation programs
  • community service
  • reintegration
  • consequences
  • restorative justice
  • reconcile
  • deterrence
  • recidivism
  • cost-effective
  • public safety
  • offender
  • criminal behavior
  • root causes
  • reintegrate
  • sentencing
  • constructive
  • economic costs
  • short term
  • preventing future crimes
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