IELTS essay sample about keeping criminals in imprisoned for long

Essay topic

Some people believe that it is better to keep criminals in prison for longer , while others disagree and say that we must find a different solution. Discuss both views and give your own opinion?

Sample response

Crime rate is increasing in spite of stringent laws and punishments. Some people argue that the only way to reduce the rate of crime is to confine criminals to prison for long periods of time. Others, however, disagree. They feel that we should find alternative solutions to deal with the growing crime rates. In my opinion, criminals who commit serious crimes should be imprisoned for the rest of their lives but others need to be treated more leniently.

The fear of punishment almost always acts as a deterrent. Even if it does not reform people, it will prevent at least some of them from committing crimes. Most people don’t want to go to prison. That is why governments all over the world use imprisonment as a form of a punishment. Keeping the offender jailed for the rest of their lives will certainly prevent them from committing more crimes in future.

However, imprisonment does not stop crime completely. The problem with imprisonment is that it does not do anything to reform people. Rather it produces hardened criminals. It is common for people coming out of jail to commit more crimes. The only way to stop them is to keep them in prison for the rest of their lives. However, only people who commit heinous crimes can be given such punishments. If others are also given such punishments, that will amount to the violation of their basic human rights.

I personally feel that those committing less serious crimes like theft or arson should be sent to rehabilitation centres or ordered to do community work. Community work gives them an opportunity to give something back to the society. It might even make them better human beings.

To conclude, in my opinion, people who commit serious crimes should be confined to prison for the rest of their life because they pose a greater threat to humanity and those committing less serious crimes should be given an opportunity to reform themselves by doing community work or spending time in a rehab.

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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