There are two opinions on the sanction of people who committed crime, some people think every criminal should go to jail and get the punishment accordingly, while others believe that lawbreakers who are minors get better alternatives, such as involving them in community service for local environment. This essay agrees on the latter choice, as community service for minors is more appropriate as punishment for them.
On one hand, first opinion which has been the most favorable view of the majority of the community is totally understandable. Prison as sanction helps maintaining safety and the law enforcement in public’s eyes. Isolating the criminals from the community environment is a powerful approach for safeguarding civilians safety as it preventing the potential risk of danger that might have been caused by committing crime, such as theft and rape. However, crimes can still be occur as prison serves as keeping the known suspected committers from outside, not reducing the crime itself significantly.
On the other hand, there is a confrontation on the early opinion especially considering the minor criminals. Giving community service instead of going to prison as their punishment is more favorable for some people. Mixing minor and serious offenders in one prison is dangerous because they have different personalities. Non-violent crimes such as traffic violations believed as less threatening to public safety compare to the major ones, so they shouldn’t be given prison time. Community service as a better alternative not just for the reason they can help the society, but also by contributing in helping elderly people, or maintain public spaces, they will gradually grow more sense of empathy and responsibility. Also, community service helps them return to society better, while prison can actually make them worse and increase crime. For example, Germany focuses juvenile and minor law systems on community work and guidance rather than locking people up, and it successfully reduces repeat offenses.
In short, while both sides have valid points, I strongly agree with the second view. In my opinion, alternative methods work better to help offenders change and bring long-term benefits to society.