A number of people believe that individuals should be sent to prison for breaking the law, whereas others hold the opinion that instead of imprisoning those who committed minor crimes, they must do community service. I think that individuals who committed small crimes should not be imprisoned and it will be more smart for them to do work for the local community as a way of paying off.
Finding alternatives to imprisonment can prevent the person from adopting bad habits and to lead a better social life in the future. Many people get into trouble unintentionally. This can happen because of misunderstanding or bad influence by a friend. In jail they might regret whatever they have done but the negative influence from their present environment will not help them to go with the right environment. This will result in not improving and making the same mistakes again. Therefore, being charged or given minor punishments such as community work will prevent them from being under a negative influence. For instance, cleaning the local park or the streets will not only keep the ecology clean but also be a way of punishment.
On the other hand, sending criminals to jail will keep the public safer and will lower the crime rate in the country. Some individuals are unchangeable and minor punishments have no effect on them. Moreover, their freedom will put the society under a large threat. In society their freedom has no limitations and borders, they feel unseen and not guilty, which leads to more violence and commitments. This sort of behavior will remain unstoppable until the criminal is caught and punished. Sending those individuals to prison will gradually decrease the threat in the public, therefore lowering the level of crime in the region. According to the latest research done by my country’s local council, criminals who are accused of murders, abuse, organized crimes, terrorism, for example, are 80% more likely to repeat those crimes again.
Personally, I believe that whether the person should be punished by doing community service or should be sentenced, strongly depends on the crime that they did. If the criminal is accused of theft, vandalism or civil infractions then a service for the community will be enough. By contrast, those who, for instance, murdered someone or commit a very heartless and cruel crime, should be harshly sentenced or even have a death penalty. On the other hand, if the individual suffers from serious mental issues, getting help from a professional is a better alternative than imprisonment.
In conclusion, individuals should be punished according to the type of crime they did or by the level or harshness of their actions.