Ethical Dilemmas From Multiple Perspectives
Competencies Addressed in This Assignment
• Competency 3: Apply ethical principles and standards to criminal justice issues.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for criminal justice professionals.
Overview
Understanding criminal justice ethics and how a seemingly innocent gesture can grow into ethical misconduct is useful for criminal justice professionals. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze how ethical dilemmas are viewed from multiple perspectives. The degree of "rightness" or "wrongness" is different for each situation below and will vary depending on the perspective that is considering the behavior. In this assignment, you will practice ethical decision making and consider how scenarios encountered by criminal justice professionals may be viewed from multiple perspectives.
For this assignment you will also:
• Identify the importance of ethics for the criminal justice practitioner.
• Describe how an ethical dilemma may be viewed from multiple perspectives.
• Explain the consequences that could occur as a result of decision making and various courses of action.
Instructions
View the media piece, Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice, linked in the Resources. Select one of the three ethical scenarios for this assignment. After selecting your desired scenario, consider the questions included for that scenario.
• Scenario #1: Municipal Jail
All criminal justice professionals work with sensitive information. Others find the information interesting, and the criminal justice professional must keep private information private. After viewing the scenario, consider the following:
What are the benefits to the jailer in sharing the information?
What are the possible consequences of sharing the information?
What might the detainee's reaction be if he discovered that the jailer shared the information?
Within the context of the above questions:
Identify the importance of ethics for the practitioner working in the jail.
Describe how, or whether, the ethical dilemma could have been avoided.
Explain the consequences that could occur as a result of decision making and various courses of action.
• Scenario #2: Traffic Stop
Officers are often faced with situations that relate to persons in positions of authority or involve a conflict with their personal feelings. These situations require the use of discretion and objective decision making. After viewing the scenario, consider the following:
From the perspective of the officer, what would you consider in dealing with the council member?
From the perspective of a citizen, what would you expect of the council member? Of the officer?
From the perspective of the officer's supervisor, what might you expect the officer to do in this situation?
Within the context of the above questions:
Identify the importance of ethics for the practitioner working a traffic stop.
Describe how, or whether, the ethical dilemma could have been avoided.
Explain the consequences that could occur as a result of decision making and various courses of action.
• Scenario #3: Gated Community
When criminal justice professionals are given authority and discretion it may be tempting to abuse the authority. Criminal justice professionals are often placed in a position of trust and must be programmed to do the right thing when no one is looking. After viewing the scenario, consider the following:
As the security officer considers using the golf cart, what factors must be weighed in her decision?
How might the owner of the golf cart view situation if the security officer used the cart without permission?
How might the other residents view the use of the cart by the security officer if they became aware that she did not have permission?
Within the context of the above questions:
Identify the importance of ethics for the practitioner working in a private security capacity.
Describe how, or whether, the ethical dilemma could have been avoided.
Explain the consequences that could occur as a result of decision making and various courses of action.
Your paper should be a 400-600-word essay. Compose your essay in the format detailed below, and be sure to include the following in your essay:
• An introduction.
• Clearly labeled headings.
• The importance of ethics for the criminal justice practitioner.
• Description of how the ethical dilemma may be viewed from multiple perspectives.
• Explanation of the consequences that could occur as a result of decision making and various courses of action.
• A conclusion.
Requirements
This section appears at the end of each set of assignment instructions. It provides the specific details of expectations for the assignment.
• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12 point.
• Length of paper: Write a short essay of 400-600 words (approximately two pages), double spaced.