Some people think that the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others, however, believe there are better alternative ways of reducing crime.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.
Write at least 250 words.
IELTS Essays - Model Answer
Crime is a serious and growing problem in most societies. Although many people believe that the best way to tackle this is to place people in prison for longer periods, others are of the opinion that other measures will be more effective.
There are benefits of giving offenders longer prison sentences. Firstly, spending a long time in prison provides an opportunity for the prison services to rehabilitate a prisoner. For example, someone who has committed a serious offence such as assault will need a long time in prison in order to be sure they can be re-educated not to re-offend. In addition to this, longer prison sentences will act as a deterrent for someone who is thinking of committing a crime.
However, some people argue that leaving people in prison for a long time means that they will mix with other criminals and so their character will not improve. One alternative is community service. This gives an offender the opportunity to give something positive back to society, and so it may improve their character. Also, the government could focus its resources on the causes of crime, which would lead to less crime in the future.
In my opinion, it is important to look at alternative methods. Many countries have lengthy prison sentences, but crime has continued to increase throughout the world, so it is clear that this is not completely effective. That said, long prison sentences should remain for those who commit serious crimes such as assault or murder, as justice for the victim and their family should take priority.
To conclude, there are good arguments for and against long sentences, so governments must continue to research the various methods of crime reduction to ensure effective policies are in place.
(290 words)
Many people are too scared to leave their home because of a fear of crime. Some people think that more should be done to prevent crime, whereas others feel that nothing can be done.
What are your views?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.
Write at least 250 words.
Fear of Crime Essay - Model Answer
Over recent decades, there has been an increasing fear of crime in many countries. Although some think that there is little that can be done to reduce the levels of crime, I believe there are measures that can be implemented.
Those that believe that nothing can be done hold this view for several reasons. Firstlly, they think that a fear of crime is a state of mind perpetuated by the media. For example, we are constantly bombarded with negative news stories about crime and violence on our streets. Thus the belief is that whatever we do to reduce levels of crime, people will still be scared. Another belief is that crime is caused by wider structural issues in society that are too difficult to tackle, such as the growing income gap between the rich and the poor. Little then can be done about this issue in our capitalist societies.
However, I feel that there are solutions that will ensure people feel safer outside their homes. Governments can increase the numbers of police in local communities and more ‘neighbourhood watch’ schemes should be encouraged, both of which increase safety and deter crime. The media should also be encouraged to present more positive stories in the news about how crime is being tackled rather than the focus on the negative. In terms of the structural issues, governments should attempt to tackle issues of poverty through better income distribution.
To conclude, there is a widely held view that nothing can be done to prevent crime. In contrast to this opinion, I would argue that there are options available that would help prevent crime and therefore reduce the fear of crime.
(277 Words)