Imposing sentences is regarded as an effective way to punish criminals. While I reckon the deterrent effect of prisons, there are other rehabilitation programs, such as community service or vocational training, to educate those who commit petty crimes.
The main function of prisons is to limit and control activities of those who violate regulations so that they are not able to commit crimes. Under twenty-four surveillance cameras and strict regulation on their daily activities, they have to follow a daily routine, such as doing handcrafts, attending legal courses, or cleaning the prisons, and they have no time to think about performing anti-social behaviors. After being sentenced for a period, they should develop a habit to obey rules, meaning that they could return to society for living.
Although prisons serve a combinational role of sentences and schools, some people hold the view that such a punishment for those whose crimes are minor is too severe and those people could be asked to do some voluntary work or attend vocational training to learn some useful skills. By engaging in voluntary work, they could see the kindness and warmness of the society and they could get positive feedback from others’ praises. This could form a virtuous circle and they will continue to help others after finishing punishment. Besides, vocational trainings could teach them some practical skills for them to find positions to earn a living, so that they will not steal or rob due to financial reasons.
Taking the levels of crimes into consideration, I personally believe that a prison sentence is a feasible way to curb serious crimes and educating criminals is a more effective way to petty crimes. In other words, the punishment of crimes should be imposed based on the severity of the case. To be specific, if all lawbreakers are pulled together, the thoughts of murders or those who significantly threat social safety will inadvertently influence others’ views. For example, they could owe all their negative feelings or experiences to the society. As a consequence, people who intended to change themselves in prisons have the possibility to become an anti-socialism after sentences.
In conclusion, serious criminals should be sent to prisons to reflect why they behave badly. However, this is not a reasonable method for tiny misconducts, which deserve educational power to transform those who violate laws into citizens who respect laws and take actions to contribute to social development.