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.

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.

 

Ielts Essay - Imprisonment-justified or not

Confining convicts to a small room of a jail has been a conventional practice, being perpetuated since time unknown, but of late there has been a suggestion from various social theorists that instead of locking up such people, some other methods which might prove to be helpful should be adopted.

Keeping people, involved in nefarious activities behind the bars, seems to be losing supporters among both the government and the public, since it is felt that this exercise is simply a criminal wastage of money of tax payers.  The hard earned money in no way should be spent on feeding such people imprisoned due to unlawful acts. Many have come forward with suggestions that propos sending such unlawful elements to hard labor camps and making them earn their bread and butter, but not letting them out in the free world.

Similarly, others have gone to extent of suggesting that governments should invest in reforming these people intellectually, and also provide them training in various fields that could enable even the hardened lawbreakers to lead a reformed life and prove to be an asset rather than a liability to the society.

However, the critics are quite cynical of thrifty and reformist approach, and suggest continuation of practice of imprisonment. The cost of damage criminals can do to society while roaming free, would be much higher than money spent on maintaining corrective facilities. In no way, ones, notorious for unlawful activities can be dissuaded from such practice. Such people pose a serious threat to the public life and safety, and keeping perpetrators of crimes away from public life is critical for a safe society, at whatever cost.

Henceforth, I feel that it is advisable to keep criminals out of social life, locked up in corrective facilities.