Some people think sending criminals to prison is not an effective way to deal with them. Education and training are better. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that instead of locking up inmates, offering education and training to them is a better way. In my opinion, although education opportunities and job training are important, imprisonment remains the primary inhibitor of criminality.

Undeniably, education and training play a crucial role in shaping individual personality. Based on information from the U.S. Department of Justice, they generally portray offenders as impoverished and uneducated prior to incarceration. This further proves that most criminals lack knowledge, and teaching methodologies would help to enlighten and enhance their awareness. Especially, education and training are more suitable options for juveniles who feel guilty and desire to make amends for their faults. With years of training in prison time, those are soon converted to become productive members of society after being released from jail. When these ex-convicts could seek a stable job to support themselves, they may be able to stop doing illegal acts. Thus, society can lower the chance of future recidivism.

However, imparting the right education to the culprits can help a lot in changing their outlook towards life or make them repent for their mistakes can not guarantee. Education is a rather optimal approach when applied to the non-criminals to remind them of the consequences of violating the law. Nonetheless, cases of serious crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, serial murder are best confronted with by being imprisoned to prevent further life losses and protect innocent people. This is because these dangerous offenders have deviant thoughts that are implanted in their minds, it has been challenging to transform them by depending solely on education methods. Although some education and training are still necessary for this group, prison sentences are the more imperative factor to deter them from reoffending.

In conclusion, education would be effective when applied to those who have not committed any crime, but if they have engaged in criminal activities, applying a combination of education and prison may be the best method to stamp out bad deeds.