IELTS Writing Task 2 — Crime and Justice: a Band 9 sample answer

Many governments respond to public anxiety about crime by promising tougher, longer prison terms. While I accept that serious offenders must be removed from society, I largely disagree that lengthening sentences is the single most effective way to bring crime down. In my view, prevention and rehabilitation achieve far more lasting results.

The chief weakness of long sentences is that they do little to address why people offend in the first place. Most crime is rooted in poverty, addiction or a lack of opportunity, and a cell does nothing to repair those underlying problems. Indeed, prisons can deepen them: a young man jailed for a minor theft often emerges more hardened, having spent years among career criminals. Norway, which favours shorter sentences and intensive rehabilitation, has one of the lowest reoffending rates in the world, while countries that lock people away for decades frequently see released prisoners return within months.

A wiser approach, therefore, is to invest in prevention before crime occurs and rehabilitation afterwards. Well-funded schools, youth clubs and drug-treatment programmes steer vulnerable people away from offending, and they cost taxpayers far less than a prison place. When punishment is necessary, pairing it with education or vocational training gives offenders a genuine path back into ordinary life. People with jobs and stable homes simply have less reason to break the law.

In conclusion, although prison clearly has its place for dangerous individuals, I do not believe that ever-longer sentences are the answer to crime. Tackling its causes and helping offenders change offers society a safer and more affordable future.