Research suggests that the majority of criminals who are sent to prison commit crimes when set free.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Research suggests that the majority of criminals who are sent to prison commit crimes when set free.

Reasons and solutions for prison criminals reoffending after release - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Why do you think in this case? What can be done to solve the problem

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7.5 ยท 257 words.

Safety is becoming more important than ever. However, many offenders commit crimes after being released from prison, making it a more concerning problem in many countries. This essay will discuss the reasons behind this issue and suggest practical solutions for it.

One major reason why this issue occurs is that criminals struggle to find relevant jobs with stable salaries after being released from prison to make a living. To clarify, even if offenders are taught social manners and have reformed, many companies are less willing to hire individuals with criminal records, limiting their opportunities to earn legal income. Consequently, many released prisoners experience financial difficulties, which inevitably results in committing illegal activities again. For instance, released prisoners often face financial pressures that drive them to commit crimes to earn money and feed their families. Therefore, this is the main cause for increasing crime rates.

However, one practical approach is to create vocational jobs and employment for offenders after they are released. This is because, such works may help the criminals with finding appropriate jobs, thereby reducing their dependency on illegal activities. For instance, governments could cooperate with private companies to create employment programmes specifically designed for ex-offenders, making them far less likely to commit further crimes. Thus, providing job opportunities for criminals is an effective way to address this problem.

In conclusion, the main reason why many criminals reoffend is the difficulty of finding legal employment after prison. However, this issue can be effectively tackled by providing vocational training and creating more job opportunities for former offenders.

Examiner feedback

This is a well-organized and grammatically accurate essay that clearly addresses the prompt. The overall score is primarily determined by the high degree of grammatical control and logical flow, though it is slightly limited by a narrow range of ideas and some repetitive vocabulary.

Task Response - 7

- The essay addresses both parts of the prompt (reasons and solutions) clearly. - The position is maintained throughout the response. - Main ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat narrow by focusing on only one primary cause and one primary solution.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from the problem to the solution. - Cohesive devices like "Consequently," "To clarify," and "Thus" are used effectively to link ideas. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic, though the transitions between paragraphs could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource - 7

- The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task, including terms like "reoffend," "criminal records," and "vocational training." - There is some slight repetition of phrases like "released from prison." - Word choice is generally precise, though some minor inaccuracies in usage (e.g., "such works") occur.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- The majority of sentences are error-free and demonstrate a high level of control. - A variety of complex structures are used, such as "even if offenders are taught..." and "which inevitably results in..." - Punctuation is accurate throughout, contributing to the overall clarity of the essay.

Related prompts

Start Practice