Assignment:
Introduction
Consider the following ideas from our textbook:
The mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners held in Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad was terrible for American military leaders and those responsible for the oversight of American intelligence. The situation at Abu Ghraib involved American soldiers abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners, and the media seemed to delight in presenting American hypocrisy-the forces of good caught in an evil act within the military prison.
Questions that arise from such an event are appropriately asked of those in charge of the institution. How could daily activities, as alleged by some, be happening without the knowledge of the supervisory personnel? Senior administrators should be aware of abusive behavior and stop it when it occurs. The leadership structure of a prison or jail facility must know what is going on within the walls and fences of the institution and hold all personnel to a high standard of behavior.
When institutional leadership fails, as Abu Ghraib demonstrates, extremely bad things can happen, such as abuse of prisoners and failure of appropriate supervision and adherence to policy and procedure.
The Human Behavior Experiments video (57:41) sheds some light on the reasons why people behave in ways we could not imagine and would never expect. In this activity, you will consider the psychology behind people's actions, especially as they concern group mentality and deference of responsibility and apply it to administrative situations in the field of criminal justice.
Activity Instructions
In an essay, analyze the above ideas and evaluate the following. Include a synthesis of academic concepts.
? How can prison and jail administrators stay in touch with the ongoing issues in their facilities?
? How can negative behavior by staff be prevented? Outline a plan or set of procedures to ensure the proper treatment of prisoners.
? Should senior personnel be held accountable for the behavior of junior staff? Why or why not?
? What key lessons about human behavior can be learned from The Human Behavior Experiments?
? What key lessons about staff management can be learned from the Abu Ghraib scandal?
Writing and Submission Requirements
? 3 to 4 pages (approx. 300 words per page unless otherwise noted), not including title page or references page.
? Reference page (minimum of 3 in-text citations with corresponding resources)