For hundreds of years,prison has been the primary mode of punishment for those that break the law. There is a school of thought 1 ，however,that prison is not the best way to deal with most criminals,and that a more progressive approach would yield benefits for society as a whole.

Those that oppose a new approach focus on the concept of justice. They feel that if someone has committed a crime they should be punished; anything less is an insult to victims. Such people also stress the importance of deterrent. Prison life can often be unpleasant,and many feel that is the way it should be. It seems logical that criminals will think twice about committing a crime if there are going to be serious consequences.

However,it is worth asking ourselves what prison actually achieves. In the case of dangerous and violent criminals,prison serves an important role in that it keeps such people off the streets and makes society a safer place. However,in the case of non-violent criminals,for example petty thieves or recreational drug users,it is highly questionable whether prison is the best place for them. Prisons,by definition,are full of criminals. Making small-time 2 criminals spend months or years of their life with other,often more hardened criminals is bound to have a negative influence on them,and impressionable young people can easily get drawn into the wrong crowd. Prison also has the effect of wearing away an individual's self-respect and independence,making it less likely they will succeed on release. As for the deterrent factor,there is simply no evidence that the threat of jail prevents crime. The United States locks up more people than any other nation by far and has particularly harsh prisons,yet crime is still higher than in other developed nations. Alternatives such as community service or compulsory training courses are far more positive and allow offenders to do something constructive. When not attending such activities offenders can stay with family members,with an electronic tag monitoring their whereabouts. Studies have shown that the family is often a stabilising influence for offenders,and certainly can only be an improvement on forcing them to spend 24 hours a day in a degrading environment surrounded by criminals.

In conclusion,prison may satisfy some people's sense of justice,but in truth it serves little constructive purpose,not serving as a deterrent and sometimes turning minor offenders into career criminals. Prison should be seen as a last resort for those who pose a genuine risk to society,not a bin to toss undesirables. Sentencing should focus on getting offenders to do something useful,or better still 3 learn something useful,so that they can gain a sense of achievement. Punishment alone is unlikely to give offenders much hope for the future,and it is the absence of hope that often leads to crime in the first place.