It is argued that all individuals who commit a crime should be sent to jail, while others contend that, for some of these people, whose crimes are minor, it is better to force them to do some community service since this benefits the local community. I believe that those with minor crimes should not be sent to prison.
A proportion of people have this strict idea that all of the people who commit any kind of crime, whether small or big, should be sent to prison. They believe that the time they are served in prison would help them recognize the faults they had, since there are no hobbies or leisure activities that could distract them from this matter. Furthermore, maintaining this cruel behaviour for all kinds of crimes could cause fear for individuals who had committed crimes before, to prevent them from recommitting crimes. This sense of fear will also be helpful for the prevention of law-breaking in the first place (for people who have not committed any crime before).
In contrast, some people have a more open view on this matter. They believe that these individuals with minor crimes could be given some social services tasks, as it is beneficial for society and has lower costs for the government since holding prisoners has huge expenses for governments. Also, if someone who has committed a minor crime, such as a pick-pocket, is sent to prison, they will be in an environment that provides an atmosphere to learn about major crimes and even become an addict since drug use is popular among prisoners, therefore becoming a worse person.
In conclusion, there are opposing views about sending a person with minor crimes to prison or just asking them for some mandatory community tasks. I maintain that obligatory social services would be more beneficial for those with small crimes, as it would lower the government costs, and it is more beneficial for society and the person who committed the crime.