Deviance

I do believe punishable deviance is a societal construct. If a person is willing to use deviance in a negative way, then a different form of it can be used against them. I think jails and similar structures regulate punishable deviance nicely. However, it is not always effective. This was shown in the movie 30 days when George and Travis wanted to change their ways. Especially, Travis went through jail and the special program. So even though punishable deviance was applied, George ended up right back in jail 2 weeks later. And, Travis was back in jail less than 2 months later. Some people may change their ways, but with others, patterns are formed. During class when we looked at the chart of how many people are in prison compared to people in the U.S.A. overall, the number of people from ages 18 to 44 were higher in jails than overall. Also, the number of blacks, latinos, males, and high school or less than an high school education had higher numbers in jails than in the U.S.A. So once these people are in jail, the punishment can vary. The movie demonstrated a very different idea of jail than from what I have thought. The 72 hours alone in the room seemed very draining and difficult, but just being in that wide open room with others didn't display my idea of jail. I always thought that your punishment should be based on the crime you committed. In 30 days, most of these men didn't seem too intimidating. Both Travis and George seemed like fairly smart guys and they really wanted to take control of their lifes and change. So, it all depends on the type of jail and the enviornment surrounding you.