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While a section of the society opines that increasing jail time is the most appropriate measure to deal with increasing crime rates, the other half thinks there greater techniques to deal with this issue. This essay will discuss both sides of the argument in addition to my opinion that long-term solutions should be considered before resorting to quick fixes.
To begin with, it is believed that when prison sentences are longer, people might think twice before committing a crime. When one knows beforehand that they might end up in jail for most of their lives after breaking the law, they might not go ahead with their plans. However, this is a quick fix and might be abortive. As usually, criminals harbor poor judgment skills. More so, some might even commit felonies just for the thrill. For instance, even though murder is illegal and can result in lifetime imprisonment, there are people who commit this horrendous activity just for the high.
Moreover, it is often seen that people who break the law belong to economically backward families. Crime like gang activities, murders, bank looting, often become a means of survival for such people. Thus, by creating more job opportunities the requirement to resort to illegal ways of assembling resources will diminish. Opening up new factories in rural areas can provide jobs to thousands of workers and make their living comfortable. Also, the availability of weapons like shotguns has given rise to terrorist activities and mass killings. It is thereby crucial that a license should be given only after a thorough evaluation. What’s more, mass shootings in schools in the USA have cost the lives of hundreds of children all over the year causing many states to ban gun ownership.
To conclude, a two-fold approach should be obtained to lessen the prevalence of crime. In my opinion, increasing the number of years served in jail is only futile as most of these criminal masterminds never think before acting.
