Deviance In The Criminal Justice System

Deviance in sociology can be described as actions or behaviors that violate or go against the widely accepted cultural rules and norms within a society (Nickerson, 2024). Therefore, since these behaviors and actions are not formally written rules of conduct and are based on what society or culture generally accepts, people’s perceptions of deviance can differ from society to society. Consequently, each society or culture determines what is considered acceptable and unacceptable to them, and what may be seen as deviant in one society can be considered acceptable in another. For instance, in my culture, respect for elders is strongly emphasized. In Nigerian culture, respect for elders usually means that their word is final; one cannot challenge,
For one, I believe that not all crimes require strict punishment or deserve hard labor. Instead, in my opinion, in-prison rehabilitation will go a long way in reforming the system. When exposed to rehabilitation programs such as educational services that focus on literacy and numeracy, job skills and training workshops, vocational skills trainings, offense-focused programs, and mental and physical health programs, prisoners can imagine and see a life beyond the life of crime. With the exposure to opportunities, skills, and tools they probably never had access to previously, prisoners can return to society as positive additions and reduce the chances of recidivism (Black Law Dictionary, n.d.). Likewise, community-based programs to help educate and support the community through the police department can serve as another reform measure to deter people from crimes. Additionally, these community-based programs can help set up prisoners upon release and serve as a starting point to reintegrate them into
The family is considered the basic or primary unit of society, where individuals build their habits, values, and character. Therefore, it is the family that teaches individuals socially acceptable norms, roles, values, and behaviors. For instance, it is from the family that children first learn that it is not socially acceptable to dispose of refuse or garbage on the floor, road, or street, but instead to dispose of them properly in a waste bin. Schools and educational institutions also participate in social control by reinforcing societal norms and expectations that have been taught by families through lectures and teachings on discipline, obedience, respecting authority, and citizenship. For example, schools have rules and regulations to keep students in check. Disobedience or disregard of any of the schools’ rules and regulations, usually attracts punishment. Religious institutions provide moral and ethical guidelines through religious teachings, which they use to discourage behaviors considered deviant in