What is Most Effective, Prison or Community Service?

What are the most effective punishments for those guilty of committing crimes? This is a subject of constant debate and there are a number of ways of looking at it. The two most common questions are whether time in prison or time doing community service is the best option. Below are some of the arguments for each of these being the most positive punishments for society as a whole.

There are times when prison is the only option, for example for those who have committed serious crimes. Dangerous criminals have to be sent to jail as it is not safe for them to be in the wider community; public safety needs to be the priority.

Is prison more of a punishment than community service? This is difficult to judge, and people have differing opinions on this. To many though, having your freedom taken away is a big price to pay for committing a crime, and therefore prison is more of a punishment. And the bigger the punishment is perceived as being, the more of a deterrent it is. To most members of society going to jail would be a terrifying thought, much more so than doing community service. It could, therefore, be seen as a bigger deterrent.

Some believe that the public perception of justice being done is important, and makes us feel safer on our streets. Many believe that prison is the biggest possible punishment and when someone is sentenced to time it makes them feel as though justice is being done. This is particularly the case if someone else’s crime has affected them.

Although prison certainly has its place, there are many who believe community service can often be a better way of dealing with crime. One of the more obvious reasons is money; prison is much more expensive that sentencing someone to community service. Even a short sentence for a minor crime can cost an average of over £50,000.

People doing community service is actually acting as a service. Useful tasks, such as litter being cleared up, are being completed so something positive is being done in the community. It is producing free labour. Although some might argue that in some circumstances community service is taking jobs away from law abiding citizens, many of the jobs carried out are things that would otherwise be left undone.

The attitude of those taking part in community service can be a positive. Rather than spending time in jail waiting for their sentence to pass, they can feel they are doing something positive; giving something back to society. This can give them more of a positive attitude to life. It can be particularly useful to those who are long-term unemployed as it can teach them the value of work. It can encourage them to want to work, eventually meaning they go back into employment.

Community service is also a public demonstration of making up for a crime. People see people taking part in community service, which shows them justice is being done. It also gives an example of what might happen should you commit a criminal offence and shows that crime does not pay. Picking up litter, for example, does not look like an attractive proposition to most, and seeing someone being forced to do this may put them off crime.

There are positives to both prison and community service. The appropriate punishment is often determined by the specific circumstances of the crime committed and the person being sentenced. There are differing opinions, though, about which is generally more effective.

Andrew Marshall (c)