IELTS WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think a crime should always have a fixed punishment like life for murder, whereas others think you should take the circumstances of the crime into account.

What is your viewpoint?

The topic of suitable punishments for violent crimes is a controversial one, with some insisting that certain criminals be automatically given life in prison, while others argue that the courts should be given more autonomy when deciding on the sentence depending on various factors. In this essay I will be looking at both points of view but will argue that circumstance should be taken into account when deciding the punishment.

Many people are of the opinion that, due to the severity of the crime, a person convicted of murder should be incarcerated for the remainder of their lifes. One reason for this viewpoint is based on the idea that such individuals are a serious danger to society. Apart from the injustice of this, one issue with this is the fact that considerable sums of taxpayer money will be required. Prisoners will never be released to make way for others, which will therefore require the expansion of prison complexes. On top of this, the costs of keeping prisoners housed, guarded and fed for their entire lives are exorbitant.

An alternative point of view takes a violent criminal's situation and the circumstances of his crime into account when the length of his sentence is decided. This gives the court an opportunity to use its experience and common sense, allowing the authorities certain autonomy to decide whether a criminal may be released early due to good behaviour and evidence of rehabilitation. Such flexibility provides for much more informed decision-making based on evidence.

It is extremely costly to society, not only monetarily but morally too, to believe that murders are inherently evil and therefore need to be kept away from society forever as they can never rehabilitated. For these reasons, I believe that a crime's circumstances and evidence of rehabilitation should be a deciding factor when decisions about a suitable punishment are made.

(313 words)