Reducing crime rate is essential to making Hong Kong a safe place for its citizens to live in. Thus, there have been many discussions on what the most effective way of reducing crime is, and some people believe that having longer prison sentences is the way to go. However, I sing a different tune.
While having longer prison sentences may pose as deterrence to some people who plan to commit crimes, the effect is not long-lasting and will wear out quickly. In the beginning, criminals might be discouraged from violating the law by the number of years they might have to spend in jail if they are caught, but after some time, this shock factor will subside, and they will gradually become desensitized and numbed towards longer sentences, getting used to it. When everybody gets a harsher verdict, the effect of it on criminals, especially the serious ones, would not be so damaging. Moreover, longer sentences could lead to adverse side effects because more time in jail means more interaction with other inmates. As a result, there is a possibility that the criminals of misdemeanor might befriend and be influenced by prisoners who are convicted felons, having spent more time together. When these prisoners are released from captivity, they might proceed to commit more serious crimes as they are affected by serious offenders. This is definitely counter-intuitive.
The best way to reduce crime is through education, as generic as that may sound. The reason education always works is because it can fundamentally change the mindset or values people hold, which are usually the reasons behind their actions. In this case, the ‘actions’ are breaking the law. Some criminals might be driven by jealousy and envy, while others might be lured by greed and desperation. Though simply feeling these emotions do not necessarily constitute a criminal offence, when they are paired with an unstable moral compass, where a person does not strictly abide by the moral norms of society and succumbs to his own temptations because of a shaky moral foundation, crimes will be committed. Thus, to tackle the root problem of an unsturdy moral support, education is essential. If can first, bolster a person’s moral standing and repair the flaws of his beliefs, preventing him from falling prey to his own temptations, and second, serve as a long-term deterrence to anybody who is tempted to infringe the law. With a steadfast moral standing, people will think twice before doing anything wrong.
Another way to reduce crime is through improving rehabilitation services. If education is about prevention, rehabilitation is all about treatment. Through receiving rehabilitation services, ex-convicts will have the opportunity to integrate into society more smoothly after a long departure. They can learn basic job skills so they would not be rendered completely incompetent when it comes to working. Once they are equipped with techniques that can land them jobs, they will be able to earn a living and support themselves, significantly lowering the possibility of them relapsing into committing crimes again. This will help reduce crimes by ex-convicts. While punitive measures can definitely serve as effective tools in reducing crime, it is important to note that criminals are human too, and they make mistakes just like everybody else. They have served their sentences as retribution for their acts, so they should be given the chance to live out their lives. People often overlook the importance of helping ex-convicts become self-reliant, but it is indeed very significant as they have a higher possibility of committing crimes again.
When solving a problem, the most effective ways are either to tackle the root cause or target the right group of people, which education and rehabilitation can achieve respectively, fundamentally and abidingly. Let us all try our best to reduce crimes by nurturing the general mass with good moral values and treating ex-convicts with respect so that Hong Kong can be made a better place to live in!