The fight against crime and criminals is a noble task for any nation. Yet, the manner of handling such delicate endeavor is a matter of debate for decades. Between longer prison time and tackling its root issues through education and community programs, there are multiple views and arguments for each side. However, I think this problem should be tackled from the beginning through proper education and campaigns more than concentrating on penalizing people.
Longer prison sentences, on one hand, may indeed reduce the crime rate by hindering the criminals after the act and sending a clear warning signal to the rest of the population. However, adopting such a method may have a profound impact on the society, starting from rising rates of prisoners, augmenting thus the need of prisons and turning the country into a nation of hostility.
Investing in proper education from ground-up is rather a more fruitful approach. Injecting the values of civility, common good and respect of law in schools, universities and even during the summer vacation programs, could not only act as a significant booster to the overall wellness of the society, but could also reduce the crime rate sharply especially among adolescents. Although this method requires an immense amount of investment and collaboration between different entities including the government, the community and its experts, its long-tail effect of building the necessary foundation of a nation of law and order overwhelmingly surpasses its drawbacks.
Having said that, it is important to pay attention to the fact that only educating people is not enough sometimes. Criminals and their mindsets require a certain level of deterrence in order to assure the stability and security of the country and its citizens. It is for this reason that the criminal penalties should not be abandoned completely but should be applied as the need arises. Focusing more on educational programs while maintaining the prison sentences for severe cases is the optimal solution in my view.
In conclusion, I believe that to tackle the criminality in a country, the nation should invest its efforts more towards educating its citizens rather than penalizing them. Although this approach may appear more complex in the near future, its impact on society on the long-run is undeniable.