The question of whether imposing longer and harsher prison sentences or offering education and community service to reduce crime rates effectively has been the subject of heated discussion. Crime rates, in my opinion, can be lowered by giving education or community service on the grounds that they help criminals form positive understanding about the world through the knowledge and service they receive.
In most cases, people who have negative concepts about surroundings tend to commit crimes, in order to solve this relevant problem effectively, it is better to give them chance to learn and obtain services from professionals. This allows individuals to realize there are many opportunities that they can make use of. For instance, by getting psychological treatment, a person can realize how he was confused about the world and get ideas about what he should do to become better version of himself.
In contrast, if the prison sentences get longer and more difficult, then it might be less effective or show negative consequences. As people likely to respond in a way how they get replied, hence, understanding their state of being and giving them chances allow us to get better results. Moreover, all received knowledge and community services may help criminals in the long run after they get released from prisons, as they can use them to put positive impact to the community.
To sum up, harsher punishments tend to worsen the situation, whilst offering people opportunities to improve themselves can reduce crime rates. As it shows people there are still ways to become better version of yourself.