Police and Crime Prevention
- The job of the polices is to catch criminals
- They must also prevent crime and make communities safer
- There should be an increase in the number of police officers on the streets
- Police officers should be seen as part of the community
- They should be involved with education and prevention
- The police should be in close contact with schools
- They should focus on young people who have dropped out of school
- These teenagers may become involved with gangs
Punishments/Prisons
- Fines are used as punishment for minor crimes
- If the crime is more serious, prison is the most common punishment
- Some criminals pose a threat to society
- They are put in prison to ensure the safety of other citizens
Negatives of Prisons
- Criminals are put together
- They make friends with other offenders
- Many prisoners re-offend when they are released
- A criminal record makes finding a job more difficult
Rehabilitation
- Another aim of prisons is rehabilitation
- Prisoners receive education of vocational training
- Prisoners should learn personal skills and specific job skills
- Punishment could make prisoners’ behavior worse
- Rehabilitation aims to make them better citizens
- Rehabilitated prisoners are less likely to re-offend
Capital Punishment
- Supporters say that capital punishment deters crime
- Fear of the death penalty stops people from committing offences
- The death penalty shows that crime is not tolerated
- It is a form of revenge
- The cost of imprisonment is avoided
- The offender cannot pose a threat to others
Against Capital Punishment
- Innocent people could be wrongly convicted and executed
- Crime rates are not necessarily reduced
- Many criminals do not think they will be caught
- Capital punishment is not a good deterrent
- Executing prisoners creates a violent culture and encourages revenge
- We have no right to take another human life
Community Service
- Community service is a way to reform offenders
- It could be a solution to prison overcrowding
- It avoids the cost of imprisonment
- It makes offenders useful in their local communities
- They are required to clean streets or talk to school groups
- Offenders repay their community
- They avoid the negative influence that prison can have
Against Community Service
- Community service is not a sufficient punishment
- Criminals should be locked up, away from their victims
Crime in the Media
- Crime is one of the main subjects of most news
- The mass media focus on violent and sensational crimes
- This leads to fear of crime among the public
- Sensational stories attract more viewers or readers
- The media report crime stories in order to increase their audience
