Some People Think That Certain Prisoners Should Be Made To Do Unpaid Community Work Instead Of Being Put Behind Bars | Band 7.5 IELTS Essay Sample
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?
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Band 9 IELTS essay sample
According to some people, certain criminals such as those who commit minor crimes should be given a chance to do unpaid community work instead of being imprisoned. I agree with this view. Reformation of criminals is the ultimate aim of any form of punishment and people who have an opportunity to engage in unpaid community service are more likely to be reformed than those who spend time behind the bar.
Criminals who commit serious offenses such as murder or rape should be imprisoned because if they are allowed to roam free, they pose a serious threat to the society. In their case, social work can never be considered as an alternative to imprisonment. However, petty criminals who commit minor acts of crime such as pickpocketing or public drunkenness do not really pose a threat to the society. Consequently, they do not have to be confined to a prison. In fact, imprisonment can prove detrimental for them. A prison houses all sorts of criminals. Some of them are repeat offenders who have committed hard core crimes. When a minor offender is put behind the bar with these people, their chances of reformation are non-existent. Worse still, they may become apathetic and develop utter disregard for law and order. At this point, they become a serious threat to the society. So, obviously, in cases like these, the imprisonment produces the opposite effect. Instead of reforming the criminal, it hardens them and makes them prepared for committing even more serious crimes after their release.
By contrast, if minor offenders are given an opportunity to engage in community work, they get to interact with more people and understand the realities of life. These interactions help them realize their mistakes. When they give back to the society by performing unpaid work, their sense of self worth will increase. They also gain respect which they will certainly not want to lose. As a result, they will refrain themselves from committing more crimes in future. In order words, social service is better than imprisonment at reforming criminals.
To sum up, criminals who are a threat to the society should certainly be imprisoned; however, those who commit minor offenses should have the opportunity to engage themselves in community work.
Band 7.5 IELTS essay sample
Irrespective of the type of crime they commit, criminals often face imprisonment. While some individuals argue that they should be forced to work as volunteers for social causes others opine that they should be held in the jail. I believe that whether an individual should be confined to prison or not depends upon the severity of crime and the age of the perpetrator. Those who commit petty crimes should be given a second chance to reform themselves by giving back to the society through social work.
People commit crimes due to various reasons and it is not necessary to punish every criminal with a mandatory prison term. Of course, heinous crimes such as premediated murder or acts of terrorism should be given stringent punishments including prison terms; however, someone who commits a petty crime due to poverty or on the spur of the moment should have an opportunity to learn their mistake and reform themselves. It is better to make them do unpaid community service instead of confining them to prison.
On the other hand, there are heinous crimes which cannot be tolerated such as rape and murder. These kinds of people / criminals who commit atrocious crimes are hopeless of refining themselves. They should be punished with death sentence and should not be allowed outside of prison bars without proper security/police force.
To conclude, not every criminal can be reformed. Prisoners especially children can be allowed to do charity work only if they are visiting jail for the first time whereas brutal criminals should not be allowed to roam outside the prison because they are harmful to the society.
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