Essay Sample on Alternative Methods of Combating Crime

It has been noted many times that prison is not an effective means of dealing with criminals. In fact, in the UN, more than 50% of the inmates released go back to prison within 12 months of their release. Some have suggested alternative methods of combating crime, which are focused more on making sure the crime never happens in the first place, than hopelessly trying to correct damage already done. Such methods include better education and welfare, and I firmly agree that those and other ways are more effective in fighting crime than any prison. 

To begin with, research has shown that citizens are much more likely to commit a crime if they come from an abusive, unsupportive or distant family. This is because family is supposed to be what guides the person into the right path, by developing their character, supporting them, and making them functional members of society, so when family is unsupportive and distant, and even worse, abusive, the person is going to be left unguided in life, often times turning to crime, drugs and violence because no one was there to tell them what is right and wrong. This can be fixed by making family therapy mandatory, so that problems like these never spring up in the first place. For example, through family therapy, an abusive parent will be able to see just how much damage they are doing to their child with their behaviour, and try to correct that, in turn saving the future of the child, who knew only violence from the one they were supposed to look up to, in turn making them violent and aggressive themselves. 

Furthermore, one of the largest factors for crimes such as stealing is the extreme poverty millions of people live in. Extremely poor people oftentimes have no choice than to steal food or money so that they can survive. This can be helped by organising fundraisers and providing food, shelter and jobs for the poor, so that they don’t have to rely on deceiving and stealing from others for the essential things they need to survive. For example, a homeless man that relied on stealing food from a grocery store will no longer have to live like that if they get offered a job in community service. They will be able to make their own money, however small their salary is, it will be enough for them not to rely on crime anymore. 

In conclusion, if we implement family therapy and give help to the poor we will actually prevent a substantial amount of crime from ever happening in the first place, in turn saving a lot of people from ever going to prison, which does more harm than good.