IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Many offenders commit more crimes after serving the first punishment

In IELTS Writing Task 2, students are asked to write a formal essay of at least 250 words, in 4-5 paragraphs based on the given writing task 2 essay topics. The task is similar for both Academic and General Training with regards to the type of questions and the scoring, but the topics given for General Training will be slightly easier than Academic. Given below is a cause and solution essay with sample answers that will help you to practise and get a good score.

Topic

Many offenders commit more crimes after serving the first punishment. Why is this happening, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem?

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Outline 

Essay Type

Cause/ Solution Essay 

Introduction

Introduce the essay topic and paraphrase it by giving a proper preface. Then, state the essay’s intent in two subsequent paragraphs, i.e., the causes and solutions for the essay topic. 

Body 

Paragraph 1: A large proportion of criminals leave prison only to reoffend, owing to a lack of rehabilitation and reskilling opportunities in prison

Paragraph 2: These criminals can take effective measures to keep engaged in activities that will help them acquire new skills.  

Conclusion 

State the solution 

Sample Essay

Most criminals tend to commit crimes again, once they are released from jail. This is mainly because of the lack of rehabilitation in prisons and also the difficulty they face in finding employment. There are a lot of solutions to overcome this situation. In this essay, we will explain why the criminals commit the same crime again and the reasons to overcome this.

The main reason for the repetition of crimes is the lack of reskilling options in jails. Since they are unable to find the right employment, they resort to unfair means to earn their daily bread. Another reason is that there aren’t strict laws to keep them under control.

 Some effective measures are imposing strict punishments and improving their skills like craft making, fashion designing, catering and so on. They will be engaged in work once they are out of prison and become self-sustained.

To sum up, the government must closely monitor the criminals even after they are out of prison and ensure that there is a reduction in crime rate so that we can make the world a better place to live in. 

Band 9 Sample Essay

Several criminals are likely to commit other offences after serving their initial term, owing to their incapacity to maintain economic stability and difficulty finding suitable employment. However, there are several options for dealing with this scenario, such as providing financial assistance and instilling the necessary skills. This essay will look at why criminals commit the same crimes over and over again and how to avoid them.

To begin with, most first-time convicts commit crimes after serving their first sentence due to the lack of employment options and opportunities to retrain and master new skills to make a living. Moreover, since society does not accept the convicts as respectable people anymore, they join hands with their criminal friends and perpetuate the same crimes, such as pickpocketing or robbing, to make ends meet and avail basic necessities. As a result, the financial hardships of the perpetrators prompt them to recommit the crimes regardless of the repercussions.

There are some viable measures to rehabiliate habitual criminals. The government can provide financial assistance to them after they complete their sentence as this will help them stabilize their economic status and make a living for themselves. The government can also ensure that criminals have the opportunity to retrain vital skills while in prison, as this will help them find stable work after their sentence is over and will improve their reintegration into society and financial development.

To sum up, the convicts recommit the crimes owing to a lack of financial help, job opportunities, and rehabilitation. Still, crime rates would drop considerably if the government implemented the above-mentioned measures and kept a close eye on first-time offenders once set free.

Vocabulary

• Rehabilitation 

Meaning: the action of restoring someone to a healthy or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness 
Eg: The older woman was sent to a rehabilitation centre. 

• Overcome 

Meaning: succeed in dealing with (a problem or difficulty)
Eg: It was difficult for John to overcome the loss of his pet. 

• Reskill

Meaning: teach (a person, especially an unemployed person) new skills 
Eg: The University started a reskilling program for the students. 

• Repetition 

Meaning: the action of repeating something that has already been said or written.
Eg: The staff was fired due to her repetition of mistakes. 

• Earn (one’s) daily bread 

Meaning: to do work of any kind for a living
Eg: The man earned his daily bread by working at a construction site. 

• Self-sustaining 

Meaning: able to continue in a healthy state without outside assistance 
Eg: Kay was self-sustaining from his business. 

• Monitor 

Meaning: observe and check the progress or quality of (something) over a period of time 
Eg: The teacher monitored the students during the exam. 

• Ensure 

Meaning: make certain that (something) will occur or be the case 
Eg: My mother ensured that I scored good marks. 

• Resort 

Meaning: turn to and adopt (a course of action, especially an extreme or undesirable one) so as to resolve a difficult situation. 
Eg: Jill had to resort to a loan from the bank. 

• Impose

Meaning: force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone 
Eg: The government imposed strict travel restrictions. 

Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each type of crime. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion

Many people argue whether every crime should have a fixed punishment. Some people disagree saying that the motive and intent of the crime must be found out.

It is believed that if the criminals are given fixed punishments, they will be more careful while performing their daily activities and will fear to do unlawful activities. This may turn advantageous to society. 

If the punishments are fixed, a lot of time and money will be saved. If different sentences are to be given, the government might have to spend more money on lawyers and on enforcing security measures. Instead of spending money on these purposes, it can be used for other sectors like education, development of society and so on.

On the other side, people think that having the same punishment for every crime may not bring justice in a real sense, because some crimes are unintentional. To avoid this, the punishments must be given knowing the real reason behind them.

Thus we can say that the main focus should be on serving equal justice to the people. There is no point in giving the same punishment for all crimes because no two crimes are of the same motive.

Other essays related to Crime and Punishment

There are also other related essays that you can make use of while practicing for writing task 2 essays. The list is given below:

1. Juvenile Criminal
2. Some people say that when children under 18 are committing a crime they should be punished, while others believe they should be educated. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.
3. Crime
4. Studies show that criminals get a low level of education. Some people believe that the best way to reduce crime is by educating people in prison so they can get a job after leaving prison. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. In some countries, a high proportion of criminal acts are committed by teenagers. Why has this happened? What can be done to deal with this?
6. Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that having these people to give a talk to school students is the best way to tell them about the dangers of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree?

More Writing Task 2 Essay Topics

• Some People Prefer to Spend Their Lives Doing The Same Things and Avoiding Change
• Some People Believe That Reading Stories From a Book is Better Than Watching Tv or Playing Computer Games for Children.
• Some People Say That Economic Growth Is The Only Way to End Hunger and Poverty
• Scientific Research Should Be Carried Out and Controlled by the Government
• The Tradition of Families Getting Together to Eat Meals is Disappearing

See also :

• IELTS Writing tips
• IELTS Writing recent actual test
• IELTS Band 9 essays
• Advantage and Disadvantage Essays
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet
• IELTS map vocabulary
• IELTS Writing Task 1 Connectors