Some people hold the beliefs that extending the time of prison sentences would be the optimal way to handle crime. In contrast, others reckon that there are still better ways to do so. In my perspective, both viewpoints have their own logic, but I tend to agree with the second point.
There are some reasonable reasons as to why it is thought that giving longer prison sentences can possible result in lower rate of crime. Firstly, the duration of being in jail can serve as a crucial factor that affects the psychology of the people who have an intention to break a rule. To be more precisely, it can make people think more carefully about their behavior unless they want to spend a long time in prison for their harmful actions. For instance, when changing the time from a few months to a few years, people may think about obeying the law rather than commit shoplifting or vandalism. Secondly, adjusting the time in prison indicates that the law becomes stricter and society places an emphasis on morality and social security, which can contribute to raise citizen’s awareness.
On the other hand, increasing the prison period is not the most effective way due to its potential counter-productiveness. When given longer prison sentences, there is a possibility that a number people do not feel satisfy with the governments’ policy as they do not see the point of being in jail in such a long time for only minor crime. Addtionally, it is also about the morality and humanity when imposing this new law. Instead, there are some other ways which can be employed to help aleviate the problem. For instance, the government should take measures to raise each individual’s awareness of not committing criminal behaviors in order to build a civilized society. Therefore, right from the beginning, the government should encourage schools and insitutions to educate students from the early age to cultivate their good attitude and behavior. For example, lanching such campaigns to foster students’ awareness is necessary. Finally, families have a strong responsibilty to set a good example for their children.
In conclusion, although each viewpoint has their own reasoning, I would agree to the second one.