A plethora of prisons are currently being constructed to incarcerate perpetrators throughout the world. While some people believe that eternal imprisonment is of paramount importance to cease criminal phenomena, others reject this notion, contending that psychological rehabilitation is what should be provided instead. This essay aims to discuss both sides before presenting my own opinion.
On the one hand, the former view finds strong supporting arguments. To begin with, custodial sentence can serve as a deterrent for offenders from reoffending upon release. There is a high likelihood where offenders might relapse into law-offending acts again upon unleashed, causing them to enter a downward spiral through their continuous participation in criminal activities. Consequently, this can inflict great fear upon local residents, as they may feel apprehensive about leaving their homes and engaging in daily activities such as exercising, shopping or socializing with other people. Additionally, young people may try to imitate perpetrators’ unlawful behavior as they are more likely to be prone to antisocial tendencies. This kind of inclination is often attributable to a tragic upbringing, lack of genuine care and affection from parents and teachers at such a young age, which may predispose adolescents to harmful or unethical behaviors as they mature. Therefore, a growing trend of lawbreaking activities with offenders across various age groups will become more rampant, leading to a lack of security and adequate safeguards within communities. From all the mentioned ideas, it is evident that imposing longer sentences can encourage potential offenders to reconsider their actions, while also reducing children’s exposure to criminal behavior, thereby lowering the possibility of delinquency amongst young individuals.
On the other hand, the latter view also finds compelling supporting reasons. Underlying mental health issues, such as trauma or depression may have already caused grave harm to offenders, which elaborate why some of them committed crime in the first place. Nonetheless, by addressing these root causes through personal counselling, therapy and supporting programs that are offered by governments and higher authorities, overtime, individuals can be rehabilitated and reassimilated. into society to become more productive members. In addition, while criminals merit to be punished and reprimanded for their wrongdoings, helping them to become a virtuous and law-abiding citizen should be encouraged. By teaching, guiding and educating offenders, they may realize what they have done were unethical and unlawful, enabling them to become more self-conscious of their past behaviors.
In conclusion, while both approaches have their strengths, a balanced solution may be the most effective in the long-term. Constructing more prisons may be essential for violent perpetrators within societies; however, psychological assistance and rehabilitation programs can offer a more beneficial solution to tackle the primary causes of criminal behavior.