In some countries, criminals are treated harshly, normally receiving punishments much severe than what they deserve for committing the crime. As a result, many human rightists have voiced out their discontentment and deprecation to this issue. They feel that it is inhumane and unfair to the criminals. The law executors on the other hand feel that harsh punishments are the only way to reduce crime rates in the country. However, i disagree with the latter.
Harsh punishments indeed can help bring down crimes. When they are imposed on criminals, it can serve to deter potential law-breakers too, for they would know that the price to pay is extremely heavy and hence would think twice before acting. This is evident in the United States, California, where harsh punishments actually brought down crime rate figures from 278 number of crimes in 2004 to 156 in year 2005. In the United States, they practise draconian " Three strikes and you are out" policy. Criminals, let it be people committing petty crimes like shoplift or theft would be sentenced to long term incarceration if they were to repeat for three times.
However, this is not always true. Other than harsh punishments, moral education can help bring down crime rates in the long run too. Students, from young should be inculcated with the correct moral values, like teaching them how to distinguish between right and wrong or that honesty is the best policy. Parents, while busy striving in their career should take out some time to shower care and concern to their children, for it is sometimes the lack of parental love that cause the child to go astray and commit crimes. In schools, there should be activities to rear the sense of honesty in child. For instance, awards should be given to students who have actually showed records of honesty in school.
There can also be advertisements on television, showing howlife in prison is and how committing crimes can destroy a person's life and future. This serves to deter people from committing crimes, and has the same effect of imposing harsh treatments. However, this way of reducing crimes is more humane and benign. It would certainly be effective too, as the media is a very potent weapon in conveying messages to the public. A very good example is the anti-smoking campaign in Singapore. The advertisement showed frightening images of how an woman was tarnished from head to toe after years of smoking. Many smokers have responded to the advertisement, with many willing to quit smoking, shown by record of Singapore General Hospital, as there is an increase in 16% of smokers requesting for smoke-quitting treatments.
In conclusion, harsh treatments can help reduce crimes, however, it might not be the only one, and the most effective mean. Using other methods, the similar effect of reducing crime rates can be achieved too
Harsh punishments indeed can help bring down crimes. When they are imposed on criminals, it can serve to deter potential law-breakers too, for they would know that the price to pay is extremely heavy and hence would think twice before acting. This is evident in the United States, California, where harsh punishments actually brought down crime rate figures from 278 number of crimes in 2004 to 156 in year 2005. In the United States, they practise draconian " Three strikes and you are out" policy. Criminals, let it be people committing petty crimes like shoplift or theft would be sentenced to long term incarceration if they were to repeat for three times.
However, this is not always true. Other than harsh punishments, moral education can help bring down crime rates in the long run too. Students, from young should be inculcated with the correct moral values, like teaching them how to distinguish between right and wrong or that honesty is the best policy. Parents, while busy striving in their career should take out some time to shower care and concern to their children, for it is sometimes the lack of parental love that cause the child to go astray and commit crimes. In schools, there should be activities to rear the sense of honesty in child. For instance, awards should be given to students who have actually showed records of honesty in school.
There can also be advertisements on television, showing howlife in prison is and how committing crimes can destroy a person's life and future. This serves to deter people from committing crimes, and has the same effect of imposing harsh treatments. However, this way of reducing crimes is more humane and benign. It would certainly be effective too, as the media is a very potent weapon in conveying messages to the public. A very good example is the anti-smoking campaign in Singapore. The advertisement showed frightening images of how an woman was tarnished from head to toe after years of smoking. Many smokers have responded to the advertisement, with many willing to quit smoking, shown by record of Singapore General Hospital, as there is an increase in 16% of smokers requesting for smoke-quitting treatments.
In conclusion, harsh treatments can help reduce crimes, however, it might not be the only one, and the most effective mean. Using other methods, the similar effect of reducing crime rates can be achieved too
2 comments:
HELLO WALLY! ;DD
The main cause of crime is economic ,
extreme poor people commit most of thee crime in the world because they are disenfranchised and feel beaten down by societies class structure . You cannot continue a class structure or economy that glorifies wealth and conspicuous consumerism and then complain about thieves because you created them with the temptation . The best way to deter criminals is NOT to enforce draconian "justice" to make "Examples" of people , that didnt work with hangings for thieft and it wont work for executions for murder .You mentioned California tough sentencing laws and how effective they were , the state of california has built 23 prisons in ten years and one university , so this doesnt show "effectiveness " but rather a focus on negativity while we could have been focusing on prevention .
Furthermore, using violence and hate to solve problems of crime is about as effective as the fire department using hoses filled with gasoline to put out a fire and then asking "why doesnt it work?" That is my own Taoist analogy.
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