Incarceration Case Study

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Nico was viewed as unlikely to be a reoffender because of his race and economic background, and his deviance was viewed as a one time occurrence. Nico falls under what can be classified as a “saint,” and these types of people are viewed by the police as “good boys who were among the leaders of the youth in the community” (Adler, 222). Members of other races, or economic backgrounds are typically heavily scrutinized and do not normally get the same benefit that Nico got. Furthermore, when it came to hiring an attorney, Nico was able to get a white male, who was in his thirties, at a discounted rate. Nico mentioned to his attorney that he was a history major, and one day hoped to become an attorney. Nico’s attorney sympathized with his situation and said Nico …show more content…

Nico did not have the intention of harming anyone or doing any serious damage, but nonetheless his actions were still illegal and he should have been arrested for what he did. He may have been treated with leniency by the justice system, but I think ultimately that was for the better. Incarceration is not an effective means of rehabilitation for most people, and I can personally attest that Nico is remorseful for his actions, and the ARD program was successful. He is on his way to getting his undergraduate degree and will soon pursue his law degree, and all of that may not have been possible with a criminal record. His race and economic status has allowed him to avoid a deviant label, because the people around him and the justice system do not view him as a repeat offender and his offense is being classified as a one time act of deviance. Not everyone who goes through the justice system will get the same advantages that Nico got, but it appears that the way his case was handled was beneficial for Nico, and it will be beneficial for society if he goes on to become a successful

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