Crime and Imprisonment
Although prison is considered as a powerful way to control crime, improvements on education have gained social endorsement as a means to eliminate the problem from its root. Personally, I agree with supporters of the second statement.
On the one hand, the reasons why prisons are of necessity for social security are varied. Advocates of maintaining prison systems insist that law breakers should be contained to ensure the safety of other citizens. Especially, dangerous criminals such as murderers have to be imprisoned for their felonies because this punishment is a symbol of justice and fairness. Furthermore, severe prison sentences are believed to
be a deterrent against crimes. Knowing there might be a chance of getting caught and condemned to jail, which also means losing freedom and leading a miserable life in a cell, those who are having the intention of committing crimes would reconsider going down the path.
On the other hand, I would side with those who think education serves as a remedy for the origin of crimes. Education contributes greatly to heightening people’s intellect and to forming a civilized society. With access to better educational services, citizens would be well-informed about the damage that committing crimes would cause to their community and themselves, which eventually will lead to a decline in crime rates. Additionally, the possession of certain qualifications through fundamental education like vocational training could secure a person’s stable life, which would dispel any ideas of committing crimes.
In conclusion, it seems to me that improving education systems would be the most justifiable to answer to the question of crimes even though the impacts of prisons are undeniable.
Some people believe that providing better education opportunities and job training should replace prison sentences in combating crime. Personally, I think this is a one-sided point of view and therefore disagree with it.
There are a number of compelling reasons why it is unreasonable to consider imprisonment to be an obsolete practice. Prison sentences serve as one of the embodiments of justice and fairness in society. When a person commits an unlawful act, be it a misdemeanour or a felony, there should be punishments or else society would fall into chaos. Furthermore, prisons are not only a physical place that keeps criminals contained to protect innocent people but also a reminder of the consequences of violating the law.
Although better education and job training can enhance a person’s awareness and employability that will, in theory, reduce crime, they cannot eliminate all the elements that induce a person to become a criminal. In fact, there have been many heinous crimes committed by well-educated people, for example the infamous sexual assault on a Vietnamese child in Japan. It is naive to expect everyone to follow the law just because they are provided with better education and job skills. We cannot disregard the fact that some people are morally bad by nature and some people who are psychologically unstable may show a propensity for crime.
In conclusion, better education and job training are not the ultimate answer to crime, nor can they replace prison sentences in this regard. It is the combination of both measures that can truly make a difference in the fight against crime.
It is true that more and more young people are getting involved in crime, and the best way to address this critical issue is an ongoing debate. There are many ways to prevent youth crime, one of which is better parenting skills; however, those ways need to be carried out simultaneously if they are to be effective.
On the one hand, parents are the closest people to their children and are the most likely to be able to have an impact on their children’s behavior. In fact, the large majority of youth crime nowadays is the result of inappropriate parenting, and a lack of childcare and crime education. Therefore, it is totally reasonable to say that improving parenting skills will cause a decrease in juvenile offences.
However, education at home alone is not enough since there are a lot of kids who are not willing to listen to their parents. In this day and age, children spend the largest amount of time at school, and
therefore are more likely to be influenced by their teachers or friends. For example, in my home country of Vietnam, many high school students are susceptible to negative peer pressure. This usually leads to the increasing use of alcohol or drugs, all of which are primary contributors to crime at this age. These facts suggest that we should introduce education in the school curriculum about the consequences one may face when committing an offence, as well as help children manage negative peer pressure.
In conclusion, enhancing skills to educate children at home is a good way to curb juvenile delinquencies; however, I think there is no single best way to achieve this as different measures need to be taken at the same time.
It is true that ex-prisoners can become normal, productive members of society. I completely agree with the idea that allowing such people to speak to teenagers about their experiences is the best way to discourage them from breaking the law.
In my opinion, teenagers are more likely to accept advice from someone who can speak from experience. Reformed offenders can tell young people about how they became involved in crime, the dangers of a criminal lifestyle, and what life in prison is really like. They can also dispel any ideas that teenagers may have about criminals leading glamorous lives. While adolescents are often indifferent to the guidance given by older people, I imagine that most of them would be extremely keen to hear the stories of an ex-offender. The vivid and perhaps shocking nature of these stories is likely to have a powerful impact.
The alternatives to using reformed criminals to educate teenagers about crime would be much less effective. One option would be for police officers to visit schools and talk to young people. This could be useful in terms of informing teens about what happens to lawbreakers when they are caught, but young people are often reluctant to take advice from figures of authority. A second option would be for school teachers to speak to their students about crime, but I doubt that students would see teachers as credible sources of information about this topic. Finally, educational films might be informative, but there would be no opportunity for young people to interact and ask questions.
In conclusion, I fully support the view that people who have turned their lives around after serving a prison sentence could help to deter teenagers from committing crimes.