Band 7+: Recent research suggests that the majority of criminals who are sent to prison cimmit crimes after they are released. Why is this case ? What can be done to solve this problem ?

According to the latest research, most culprits often tend to recidivate after gaining liberation. This is due to old habits and lenient punishments, but can be resolved by spreading awareness among prisoners and intensifying punishments.

There are a number of underlying reasons for recidivism, primary reason being old habits that have almost become inherent, making it difficult to change. Put simply, several offenders find it extremely hard to let go of their practices that they have been doing for a long time. Their resistance to changing habits is characterized by a lack of work opportunities, because their past crime records often act as impediments to recruiters. Even if they successfully manage to acquire jobs, they start becoming apathetic toward them due to having a fast-money-oriented mind. For instance, a robber who can earn millions in minutes can hardly settle for wages. Another factor that contributes to this phenomenon is lenient prison sentences, which fail to deter prison inmates. Numerous nations, in recent times, have developed a penchant for softer punishments in order to give culprits a chance to rehabilitate. These circumstances compel individuals to return to the criminal world.

In order to combat these issues, the first step would be to spread awareness among prisoners about the consequences of the criminal world. This can be executed by making a documentary or a short film, which should demonstrate criminals’ dreadful ends, as it might give them an impetus to live a respectful life free of crime. The second remedy would be to intensify prison punishments by prolonging the duration of each sentence. For example, in the late 1990s, Saudi Arabia was grappling with robbery, and culprits who were arrested used to commit the crime again after being released. Therefore, the government of that country increased the duration to 7 years from 2 years. As a result, these crime rates dropped drastically.

To conclude, long-standing habits and mild punishments appear to be the root causes behind offenders’ reoffending, but can be mitigated by propagating awareness among prisoners about the implications of crime and strengthening prison punishments.