I rarely commit the acts of deviance, such as speeding, jaywalking, and littering. In case when I do, it is usually due to a lack of attention. For example, I have been speeding without noticing that I am doing it. I do not commit littering or jaywalking, but there were instances where I was caught speeding. I think that they should be persecuted and punished because these seemingly minor offenses can be detrimental if committed on a mass scale. For instance, if everyone starts littering, the streets will become dumping grounds, which will lead to severe public health issues due to infections and parasites. Both speeding and jaywalking can result in preventable deaths in the form of car crashes or pedestrian lethality. Therefore, these acts of deviance should remain as such, but there is a need for infrastructure to allow people to cross the streets safely. There also should be clear signs regarding the speed limit, and trash can availability will reduce littering. Punishment for these acts of deviance should be established by ensuring that correct alternatives are available.
I believe that imprisoning offenders should be conducted only in case of major offenses. The imprisonment process is an essential part of the persecution system, which is needed to isolate dangerous individuals (Benokraitis, 2016). If the punishment system imprisons people for minor acts of crime, then there will be an unnecessary overflow of prisoners and people with criminal records. Justice establishment needs to ensure that imprisonment is only for highly dangerous individuals, who cannot be functional members of society. A person who committed a minor offense should not be kept in jail because it costs money, and he or she is not dangerous to be isolated.
Reference
Benokraitis, N. V. (2016). Introduction to sociology. Cengage Learning.