Assignment:
Discussion: Punishment
Supporting Lectures:
- Correctional Philosophy
- Restorative Justice
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week on the basis of the course competencies covered.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates' initial postings. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Our discussions will now move to the realm of corrections. Considering the ethical systems reviewed in the course to this point, apply those concepts to these aspects of the correctional system:
1. Defend or reject the use of capital punishment with one or more of the ethical theories discussed so far in this course.
2. Describe the three ethical frameworks for punishment: utilitarianism, deontology, and peacemaking. Which one do you think should serve as the ethical framework for punishment today? Why?
3. Ethical principles are not as clear-cut for probation officers as they are for police officers. A probation officer must serve as both a mentor to the clients as well as a law enforcer. Discuss the ethical systems that guide the work of a probation officer and describe how they may present the officer with difficulties on the job.