Band 7+: Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that having these people to give a talk to school students is the best way to tell them about the dangers of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree?

Educating school students on the consequences of carrying out a crime has long been a contentious issue. There is a common belief that talks by ex-prisoners should be held at school to inform students of the threat to society when a crime is committed. While this practice is beneficial in a few ways, there are many better methods to educate students about the dangers of crimes.

There are certain benefits of having reformed criminals talking to students about the hazards associated with crime. The most obvious benefit is that students may learn from those who truly understand crime. Those who committed a crime have likely gathered knowledge about the dangers of crime for the victims, not only from their own offences but also from communication with other criminals. In addition, this method may also educate students about the threat to the offenders themselves when they commit a crime. To explain, ex-prisoners are those who have undergone a long process of imprisonment and rehabilitation, so their life-stories are often a great source of real-life experience of not only what prisoners are deprived of but also how remorseful they feel.

However, I am convinced that there are better solutions to teach students about the adverse effects of partaking in criminal activity. The most viable measure may be to introduce criminology as a subject at school. While the life-stories of ex-prisoners are often biased, criminology knowledge is based on empirical data and research and as such, tends to be more reliable than anecdotal evidence. With this method, students can learn all the necessary knowledge about crime, including the dangers of it, through the lens of science and therefore have a holistic view on crime and the associated dangers. Another useful measure could be to film the harsh daily lives of prisoners and show it to school students. Notwithstanding the benefits of giving talks, films with vivid imagery can be much more visually attractive and thus more effective in informing students of the harsh reality of life in incarceration.

In conclusion, talks by ex-prisoners may keep students informed of the dangers of carrying out a crime. The government, however, should adopt stronger measures such as introducing criminology as a school subject and showing students documentaries about the lives of prisoners.