While one school of thought holds that all offenders should be sent to jail, others are of the opinion that petty offenders should work or be rehabilitated. This essay will first closely examine both views, before concluding that I agree with the latter.
On the one hand, it is understandable why some people propose that lawbreakers should be given jail sentences. The key rationale in favor of this thinking is that prison sentences potentially serve as a deterrent for them. For example, petty thieves that commit pickpocketing or shoplifting know that they are going to receive an appropriate punishment. In contrast, grave delinquents who commit rape or murder are aware that they are risking their eternal freedom and may carry the death penalty. In addition to this, prisons protect law- abiding citizens from criminals. Criminals cannot integrate with society because they may represent a danger to people. For these reasons, the belief that perpetrators should be sent to prison seems perfectly justifiable.
On the other hand, I side with those who say that alternative methods should be applied for minor lawbreakers. Perhaps the foremost reason would be overcrowded prison systems. With the increasing number of criminals, taxpayers have to use their paychecks to construct new prisons. This can lead to financial burden and ill- equipped in jails due to prisoner overcrowding.
Perpetrators live on the hard work of those innocent citizens and those expenses can be used for constructing schools and hospitals.Therefore, governments should focus on rehabilitation programs and psychological assistance instead of building new jails. Aside from prisoner overcrowding, those prisoners lose family connections. Family proves to be indispensable for prisoners to re- assimilate into the working world. Thus, weakening family cohesion increases the incidence of recidivism among prisoners.
In conclusion, despite the concerns raised by some individuals, I would contend that providing non-custodial sanctions such as working for the local community plays an important role in reintegrating offenders into normal life. However, appropriate punishment is needed for serious perpetrators.