雅思写作犯罪类话题（5月23号考试）

犯罪类话题尤其是青少年犯罪是雅思写作经常出现的话题，一般涉及到犯罪的原因，惩罚犯人和改造犯人的方式（如监禁，在监狱中提供教育等），刑罚的裁定（如对犯人的惩罚是否需要考虑年龄，犯罪动机），减少犯罪的方式（法庭直播审判，刑满释放人员去学校做讲座等）。例如

2019年5月23号雅思考试作文题目：
In many parts of the world, children and teenagers are committing more crimes. What are the causes of this phenomenon? How should they be punished?
2015年6月18号雅思考试作文题目：
Young people who commit serious crimes such as a robbery or violent attack should be punished in the same way as adult criminals. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

本期我们看一下其中一个方面，对青少年的惩罚是否要和成年人一样？ 监禁是不是惩罚青少年的有效方式？
Brainstorming:
1. 反对青少年和成年人同等刑罚：
青少年心智还不成熟，容易收到周边的影响，很多青少年本质不坏，只是一时冲动或者法律意识单薄，通过教育等其它方式可以更好得教育青少年。另外长期监禁意味着青少年失去了接受教育的机会，以后很难融入社会
2. 支持青少年和成年人同等刑罚：
一些青少年屡屡违法，如果不进行严惩还会再次犯罪，给社会安全造成极大威胁。另外一些犯罪极其恶劣，如之前12岁儿童弑母案，17岁少年杀害女同学等，不进行严惩对受害者和家属极不公正

New York Times 也有对相关话题的讨论，我们来一起学习一下相关的思路和表达：

种观点： 长期监禁对青少年有害（作者 Gary Scott)
In my observation, the incarceration of young prisoners in adult prisons has an extremely destructive effect. Young prisoners are more susceptible to negative influences than adults. Facing the reality of their lengthy sentence and potentially never going home makes them seek protection and try to fit in somewhere in their new world. Because a juvenile’s identity is still developing, he or she can potentially adopt negative behaviors that are the norm in a hostile prison environment. The fear of being victimized or assaulted produces a need for security, which leads many young prisoners to rely on gangs and weapons for survival. Young prisoners overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness cannot focus on changing their thinking and behavior, because they are focused on how to survive. Younger prisoners are also at a disadvantage because they are not as mature (mentally and physically) as older prisoners. The suicide and sexual abuse rates of younger prisoners are higher than those of the physically mature. How can rehabilitation be possible in such a dangerous environment?
本段精读解析：
Incarnation：名词监禁，动词形式为 incarcerate可以替换send sb to prison
例句：Many are incarcerated or property offences. 许多人因盗窃罪而遭监禁
本段的句话 In my observation, the incarceration of young prisoners in adult prisons has an extremely destructive effect. 是全段的topic sentence，把青少年罪犯关进成年人的监狱有极其负面的影响。
Be susceptible to 容易受..的影响。Young prisoners are more susceptible to negative influences than adults青少年罪犯更容易受到负面影响。
Lengthy sentence注意 sentence 此处是判决，宣判的意思，lengthy sentence 就是判处长期入狱。
Rehabilitation 改造（犯人），动词 rehabilitate 例句：He worked to help rehabilitate former criminals.
简单来说 Scott 认为青少年心智不成熟，可能受到监狱环境的消极影响，为了避免在监狱中被欺负侮辱，他们可能使用武器或者结成帮派，反而强化了犯罪冲动

第二种观点：对一些青少年罪犯应该实施监禁并予以严惩，作者Jennifer Jenkins
Most young people who commit crimes appropriately stay in the juvenile justice system which is focused on rehabilitation. But there are rare cases when older teens demonstrate heinousness and culpability and carry out truly horrific crimes. For those few a couple years of detention and programs are not enough. These individuals can be appropriately tried as adults. They need to grow older before release. They need long term evaluation to see if they will ever be able to rejoin society. And we should not rule out a sentence of life without parole in extreme cases. We must balance the victims’ families’ right to some legal finality with the likelihood that the offender will ever qualify for release. It’s a sad fact that some sociopaths start young and remain dangerous all their lives.
本段精读解析：
Heinousness: 极其恶劣，十恶不赦  culpability 罪责，罪行
前两句作者先承认青少年司法体系的合理性，后面再转折说一些情况下青少年罪行非常恶劣。前两句翻译：大多数犯罪的年轻人适用于专注于改造的青少年司法体系。但是极少情况下一些青年犯下了极其恶劣，骇人听闻的罪行。
Try 此处的try不是尝试的意思，是审判，名词为trial.
Rejoin society 再次融入社会，类似的表达为reintegrate into society
Parole 假释
And we should not rule out a sentence of life without parole in extreme cases. 在极端情况下，我们不应该排除终身监禁并剥夺假释机会
Offender 罪犯，可替换criminal
Jennifer 的主要观点是一些穷凶极恶的青少年罪犯应该重罚，并且评估是否适能够释放。

增加阅读输入是提高写作能力的有效方法，平时可以多读一些英语报刊杂志。
最后附上老师整理的一些常用犯罪类词汇：
罪犯：criminal, offender, lawbreaker, outlaw, inmate (服刑的人)，prisoner
犯罪行为: Commit a crime, break the law, act against the law, delinquency, juvenile delinquency （青少年犯罪）
服刑：serve one’s sentence, sb be put behind bars. incarcerate (监禁)
守法：Comply with laws, conform to laws, abide by laws. law-abiding citizens (守法公民)