犯罪與司法（Crime & Justice）是 IELTS Task 2 的常客：青少年犯罪、再犯、是否廢除死刑、監禁 vs 改造，每年至少出現一次。Speaking 偶爾在 Part 3 出現「犯罪報導是否該詳細披露」這類抽象題。

考生最常踩的坑：整篇只寫 bad people, criminals, jail, kill them——Band 5。Band 7+ 要的是 offender, custodial sentence, rehabilitation, recidivism, deterrent。

搭配 Band 6 → 7 詞彙升級 與 Task 2 主題 · 犯罪 一併使用。

這個主題的核心張力

犯罪詞彙是 IELTS 裡正式語域最重的主題之一。Speaking 用 thief 沒問題；Task 2 寫 thief 顯得幼稚——換成 the perpetrator 或 the offender，整段氣質立刻提升。

五大子類詞彙

1. 犯罪類型（Types of Crime）

| 中文 | 英文 | Band 7+ 例句 | |----------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 輕罪 | petty crime / misdemeanour | Petty crime such as shoplifting often masks deeper economic distress. | | 重罪 | serious / violent crime | Reported violent crime has fallen across most Western capitals since 1995. | | 白領犯罪 | white-collar crime | White-collar crime causes greater financial damage than all street theft combined. | | 網路犯罪 | cybercrime | Cybercrime now accounts for over a third of all reported offences in the UK. | | 毒品犯罪 | drug-related offences | Drug-related offences fill a disproportionate share of prison cells. |

2. 犯罪者（Offenders）

| 中文 | 英文 | Band 7+ 例句 | |----------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 罪犯 | offender / perpetrator | First-time offenders rarely reoffend when given access to education in custody. | | 累犯 | repeat offender / recidivist | Repeat offenders consume a disproportionate share of policing resources. | | 青少年犯 | juvenile offender | Juvenile offenders respond more reliably to community-based programmes than to detention. | | 嫌疑人 | suspect | The principal suspect was released without charge for lack of evidence. | | 受害人 | victim | Victims of online harassment often face institutional indifference. |

3. 刑罰選項（Punishment Options）

| 中文 | 英文 | Band 7+ 例句 | |----------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 監禁 | custodial sentence / imprisonment | Lengthy custodial sentences fail to deter the desperate or the impulsive. | | 罰款 | fine | Substantial fines hit corporate offenders far harder than nominal jail terms. | | 社區服務 | community service | Community service often produces better long-term outcomes than short prison stays. | | 緩刑 | probation | Probation, monitored carefully, halves the rate of subsequent reoffending. | | 死刑 | capital punishment | Capital punishment has not been shown empirically to deter serious crime. |

4. 司法程序（Justice System）

| 中文 | 英文 | Band 7+ 例句 | |----------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 起訴 | prosecute | Cases are increasingly difficult to prosecute when key witnesses fear retaliation. | | 判決 | verdict | The unanimous verdict was reached after only three hours of deliberation. | | 執法 | law enforcement | Effective law enforcement depends on community trust as much as on resources. | | 法庭 | court / tribunal | Specialist drug courts have improved completion rates of treatment programmes. | | 上訴 | appeal | The appeal succeeded on grounds of procedural unfairness rather than fresh evidence. |

5. 預防與改造（Prevention & Rehabilitation）

| 中文 | 英文 | Band 7+ 例句 | |----------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 嚇阻 | deterrent | Visible policing functions as a more effective deterrent than harsh sentencing. | | 改造 | rehabilitation | Rehabilitation programmes inside prisons cut recidivism by over 30%. | | 再犯率 | recidivism rate | Recidivism rates are the most honest measure of a justice system's success. | | 預防 | crime prevention | Crime prevention through urban design has measurable effects on burglary rates. | | 重返社會 | reintegration into society | Reintegration into society begins long before the prison gate opens. |

高頻搭配詞束

| 中文 | Collocation | 示範 | |------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 犯下罪行 | commit a crime / an offence | Most people who commit a crime are not subsequently re-arrested. | | 服刑 | serve a sentence | Serving a long sentence rarely improves subsequent employment prospects. | | 打擊犯罪 | tackle / combat crime | Genuine community policing tackles crime at its roots. | | 抑制犯罪率 | reduce the crime rate | Lighting renovations alone reduced the local crime rate by 15%. | | 接受改造 | undergo rehabilitation | Inmates who undergo structured rehabilitation reoffend at half the rate. | | 訂定法律 | enact legislation | Several states enacted similar legislation within months of one another. |

避免這些被用到爛的字

| 過度使用 ❌ | Band 7+ 替換 ✓ | |------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | bad people | offenders / perpetrators / those convicted of an offence | | jail | custodial sentence / imprisonment / incarceration | | stop crime | deter offending / prevent crime / curb criminal activity | | kill them | impose capital punishment / apply the death penalty |

提醒：Task 2 寫 put bad people in jail 是國中作文水準。換成 impose custodial sentences on offenders——同樣 7 個字，差兩個 Band。

150 字示範段

題目脈絡：Some argue prisons should focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

A justice system that prioritises rehabilitation over pure punishment is not soft on offenders — it is, on the available evidence, simply more effective. Long custodial sentences have repeatedly failed to act as the deterrent their advocates promise, and countries that have invested in education, mental health support, and structured reintegration into society consistently report lower recidivism rates. Norway's prison estate, often cited as the benchmark, releases inmates with a fraction of the reoffending typical of comparable English jails. By contrast, warehousing repeat offenders in overcrowded conditions hardens criminal networks rather than dissolving them. Practical reforms — extending community service for petty crime, expanding probation supervision, and ensuring every prisoner who undergoes rehabilitation gains a recognised qualification — would reduce the crime rate more reliably than longer sentences. Punishment without purpose is expensive and counterproductive.

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