Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later, and it is often argued that these are the best people to talk to teenagers about the dangers of committing a crime.
To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
It
is true that ex-prisoners can become normal, productive members of society. I
completely agree with the idea that allowing such people to speak to teenagers
about their experiences is the best way to discourage them from breaking the
law.
In
my opinion, teenagers are more likely to accept advice from someone who can
speak from experience. Reformed offenders can tell young people about how they
became involved in crime, the dangers of a criminal lifestyle, and what life in
prison is really like. They can also dispel any ideas that teenagers may have about
criminals leading glamorous lives. While adolescents are often indifferent to
the guidance given by older people, I imagine that most of them would be
extremely keen to hear the stories of an ex¬offender. The vivid and perhaps
shocking nature of these stories is likely to have a powerful impact.
The
alternatives to using reformed criminals to educate teenagers about crime would
be much less effective. One option would be for police officers to visit
schools and talk to young people. This could be useful in terms of informing
teens about what happens to lawbreakers when they are caught, but young people
are often reluctant to take advice from figures of authority. A second option
would be for school teachers to speak to their students about crime, but I
doubt that students would see teachers as credible sources of information about
this topic. Finally, educational films might be informative, but there would be
no opportunity for young people to interact and ask questions.
In
conclusion, I fully support the view that people who have turned their lives
around after serving a prison sentence could help to deter teenagers from
committing crimes.
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