Community service is the best punishment for young people who commit a minor offence

Nowadays in UK when a young person commits a minor offence he or she is normally sentenced to prison, a fine, or community service. In most cases community service is the best option.

Firstly, community service often persuades a young person not to reoffend. Working with sick children or old people makes young offenders realize that there are people who have more difficult lives than they do. So, community service can be an educational experience, whereas going to prison or paying a fine is not.

Secondly, spending time in prison results in young people meeting other criminals and learning more about the criminal world, which may tempt them into committing more crimes. In addition, in prisons many of the inmates take drugs and this is a terrible example for young offenders.

Finally, I do not think that a fine is a suitable punishment for young people. They do not usually have much money themselves so it is often their parents who pay the fine for them.

In conclusion, I believe that community service has important advantages both for minor offenders and for the community.