Dog Pound - Movie Review Example

Butch beats Banks and inflicts serious on him with Davis serving the role of a lookout cover. This makes other inmates respect Butch and he can provide Davis with protection against other members of Banks’ bully group.

The correction facility where the film is based is run by the government which provides resources to hire guards, provide meals, and educate the inmates as part of the correction process. In the US, about 93,000 teenagers are held in juvenile centers that are funded by the state (1). Some of the inmates in these centers are nonviolent and can receive correction in other intervention programs.  The state of New York spends approximately $680 million annually for the upkeep of nonviolent drug dealers in juvenile facilities (3). Davis has been locked up for drug possession and Butch for sociopathic behavior. Incarcerating non-violent youth in juvenile centers increases the cost of running these facilities. Non-violent offenses can be managed safely in the community thus reducing the finances required to run correction facilities. Consequently, juvenile centers have shifted from correction facilities to punishment areas. Youths locked up in these centers become subjects to bullying by other inmates and guards. The harsh conditions experienced by inmates in these facilities lead to suicide, stress, and psychiatric problems, which are detrimental to the development process of teenagers and the community.

Sending teenagers to distant detention centers and subjecting them to mandatory long-term sentences is counterproductive (1). The violent events experienced by the actors change Butch from a non-violent prisoner conforming to prison rules to a violent and vengeful prisoner. According to Martin and Eason (1)4   the juvenile correction system is a financial, social, and political disaster that has little benefit to the inmates. The result of these violent encounters is an increase in juvenile-related crimes in society once the inmates are released from the correction facilities. Exclusion, aggressive prosecution of juveniles, and imprisonment of juveniles have led to an increase in crime rates in USA and France (42). This can be attributed to bullying and solitary confinement experienced by actors in the film.  

Juvenile facilities contribute to gender violence and queer sexuality among inmates. Davis is bullied and raped by Banks and other inmates when Butch is locked up in solitary cells. The rate of sexual harassment is on the increase in the US and juvenile prisoners are among the abusers (76). Forced intercourse experienced in these facilities makes inmates adopt queer sexual behaviors that are transmitted to society when they finish serving their prison terms. These events lead to psychological trauma and induce suicidal thoughts among the inmates. In the film, Davis commits suicide after he is physically and sexually abused. This contributed to the increasing suicidal rates in prisons and among ex-convicts. 

In 2002, there were approximately 1.6 million juvenile arrests in the US. However, the high number of those arrested is caused by teenagers arrested more than once (43). Most of these arrests were due to disorderly conduct, running away, drug abuse, and curfew violations. Some of those arrested were members of criminal gangs that committed crimes in groups. Some of these groups have their origin in correction facilities where inmates form groups to terrorize others or protect themselves against aggressors. In the film, Banks is the leader of a terror group that tortures and abuses Davis. Butch eliminates Banks and becomes the leader of the group and provides Davis with protection. These activities increase delinquency rates among teenagers. 

Juvenile centers have shifted from their intended correction purposes to torture and punishment centers. As depicted in the film, inmates undergo torture and abuse, which converts them from conforming nonviolent youths to leaders of violent gangs. Juvenile centers contain teenagers accused of criminal activities including those that can be corrected within the society. This has led to a high number of convicts which has increased the cost of running juvenile prisons. Society-based correction programs can serve as intervention mechanisms for teenagers engaging in social crimes such as drug abuse. This can serve the purpose of behavior correction without subjecting the offender to physical and sexual abuse and seclusion experienced in juvenile facilities.