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Breaking the Cycle: Examining the Impact of Imprisonment

Prisons, also known as correctional institutions, have always been an integral part of the criminal justice system, along with police and courts. Although it varies from country to country, the basic process is the same. When legal punishment is imposed on a criminal, they are usually sent to prison. Offenders are incarcerated for a variety of reasons, including justice and punishment, but one of the main reasons is public safety. However, others believe that incarcerated individuals may learn more effective crime strategies from each other. Therefore, the question arises, is it true that sending criminals to prison could be effective to reduce crime? There have been many studies debating and proving that sending criminals to prisons has both positive and negative effects.

There are some reasons to believe that prisons may prevent crime. As mentioned before, public safety is a consideration as prisons provide a place for putting people who have been convicted of crimes in prison, especially violent crimes, as a way to make society safer. They keep offenders off the streets and prevent them from committing crimes in the community, an effect that criminologists call “incapacitation”. Prisons act as a deterrent, as offenders are locked up, and it is also to ensure that the law is respected and upheld.

The experience of imprisonment could deter offenders from committing crimes to avoid prison in the future. Studies have found that incarceration decreases the probability that an individual will reoffend within five years by 27 percentage points and reduces the corresponding number of criminal charges per individual by 10 charges. Prisons might give offenders the chance to reflect on their actions and give them time to reform their behaviour. They provide opportunities to rehabilitate, such as intensive courses to overcome drug addiction, education, or counselling.

Yet, there are also good reasons to say that prisons may have the chance to increase crime numbers. Prisons are considered schools of crime. Incarcerated individuals learn more effective crime strategies from each other. The numbers of people in jails have indeed increased, but crime is still going up. One researcher argues that prisons are considered dumping grounds, meaning that people with mental health issues, drug addiction problems, homelessness, and illiteracy are considered criminals. The environment of the prison is harsh. This problem further contributes to low rehabilitation and high reconviction rates.

Likewise, prisons may often lead to resentment and a determination to get back at society, which means most prisoners reoffend after release and do not reform. Although they may have been advised, they have not changed because of possible environmental problems. This is also a waste of time and energy in rehabilitating them.

Above all, sending an individual convicted of a crime to prison is not a very effective way to deter crime. There are some aspects that need to be considered; prisoners may learn how to be better criminals from each other. They could take revenge on the community after release. Even so, it still could prevent them from committing crimes in society.

[beyondthepage]

Expand Your Horizon, Pick Up a New Tongue

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way”, Frank Smith. Speaking, writing and reading are essential to everyday life, and language is the primary tool for expression and communication. There are roughly more than 7100 languages spoken in the world today, approximately 1.35 billion out of 7.8 billion inhabitants speak English and the majority aren’t native English speakers. Countries with native English speakers include New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and others. So far, besides being widely spoken, it is the most commonly learned foreign language in the world. However, there are some disputes that learning a foreign language is useless. Some said that mastering a foreign language could have more job opportunities while others thought learning a new language is costly and time-costing. Therefore, the question arises, is it important for us to learn of second language?

To start off, learning foreign language can improve the chances of getting jobs and better job prospects. In today’s business driven society, being bilingual or multilingual can give you a competitive edge when searching for jobs, or maintaining your current employment. Companies that are planning to expand or have expanded overseas and global, such as Allianz and Apple, are constantly looking for bilingual employees. They are well paid and have good benefits, because they will ultimately give the company a huge competitive advantage and performance. By learning a foreign language, you will be indispensable in your workplace as you can easily bridge the cultural gap between the two countries by understanding the needs of global customers, partners and suppliers. Hence, foreign language is beneficial for your career.

Furthermore, mastering one or more foreign languages could increase cultural awareness. Cultural awareness is being aware of and respecting the influence and role of different cultures. This enables us to communicate effectively and understand the intentions of the people from different backgrounds. A lack of cultural awareness may mislead crucial decisions. Apart from that, it helps us avoid misjudging people from different cultural backgrounds and allows for a better way of relating than having a conflict. The ultimate goal is to understand the differences between yourself and people from different countries and backgrounds, especially with unique attributes and values.

On the contrary, acquiring foreign language takes time and it’s costly. You can never succeed in any set of tasks without putting in enough time. Different languages have completely different systems of grammar, different alphabet and different sounds. Foreign Service Institute (FSI) research indicates that it takes 480 hours to achieve basic fluency in the first languages and 720 hours for second to fourth languages. Learning a language with cheap or free materials, such as YouTube videos, will never do you any good compared to the well-packed offered by recognized and expensive programs provided by educational institutions and experienced teachers. Unless you are not keen on mastering a language, you cannot learn without spending money.

Additionally, we will not necessarily have the opportunity to speak the language. If you haven’t travelled or aren’t interested in travelling, then you won’t have the chance to speak the language with natives. Even if you have the opportunity to travel, it’s easy to get around in many countries while speaking English. Knowing a foreign language may help in some careers, but it doesn’t help in many jobs. For example, a blogger or a truck driver.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, learning a second is essential for people especially when they are looking for a job and also in their social activity. It is true that learning a second language cost time and money and it is possible for not speaking it up with the native but just simply knowing a new language could help us add skills to our own and there will be a time where you can speak up.

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Save the Wild, No to Hunting

This earth is inhabited by many living things - humans, animals, plants and others. Each of them has their own important role to play here. Here, we give each other mutual support and benefits. For example, people hunting. Hunting has been a part of human existence since our earliest settlements. We have always been hunters and gatherers as a way to get food although now in modern days hunting may not be necessary. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of debate regarding hunting, particularly wildlife, today. Hunting is supported by certain individuals, nations, or states, but there will always be opponents.

Hunting can result in the wild animal population to deplete, which eventually leads to extinction. Based on researchers and scientists, from the past centuries, there were approximately 200 kinds of wild animals in the world that had become extinct, and the extinction rate of those endangered animals is accelerating. Wild animals, namely South China tiger and Asian elephant, are endangered animals. Not to mention, each species is an important member of the ecosystem, and through the relationship of the food chain, each species plays an interdependent and interlocking role. Once there is a problem in one link of the food chain, the balance of the whole ecology will be seriously affected. As a result, species that rely on other organisms for nourishment will starve to death.

Hunting has a reputation for being brutal and immortal. Without being hunted or murdered for entertainment, wild animals have the right to exist in their natural habitat. Animals are sentient beings with the ability to feel joy, pain and emotions. They are not an object that humans may use and exploit for our gain. It is seen as cruel and inhumane for animals that are frequently injured while hunting, allowed to deteriorate slowly, or cruelly slaughtered. From an animal view, they have the right to live in their natural habitat, untouched by cruelty and exploitation.

However, hunting can also be a method for managing wildlife, such as eradicating unhealthy animals or reducing overcrowding. Government wildlife biologists from each representative country examine ecosystems to ascertain the carrying capacity of integrated populations in certain regions. In order to manage animal populations in accordance with capacity, population numbers are monitored by examining observational data on animal behaviour and herd sizes. Fishing, for example, generally removes large species and matures reproductively individuals. This, in turn, favours the survival of smaller creatures that are able to reproduce. These management approaches might be more challenging to use if hunting is discouraged. Hence, there is no doubt that hunting is a way to maintain control of the local wildlife population.

Furthermore, hunting is one of the oldest interactions. It is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. In some societies, there are generations of great hunters who are known to have caught some rare animal species. This becomes a motivation to continue hunting, either as a competition or a culture. However, while the earliest hunters were more interested in obtaining meat and a source of income than anything else, today’s hunters are more interested in obtaining trophies and awards. Therefore, if hunting is deterred, it could result in the extinction of cultural traditions.

In conclusion, hunting wildlife animals should be prevented for it may lead to the extinction of certain species. Due to the fact that wild animals have a right to exist in their natural habitat, it can also be viewed as cruel and unethical. It’s not wrong that hunting does bring some dominance toward some aspects. Therefore, hunters and the government should consider the benefits and limitations of hunting wildlife.