Chapter 4

Summary:
Ethics is a very important aspect of the criminal justice system.  Ethics is a set of rules or values that spell out appropriate human conduct.  Deontological ethics is one’s duty to act.  The different types of ethics includes absolute (only 2 sides, good or bad, black or white) and relative (“gray” area that is not clear-cut) ethics.  Utilitarianism is the belief that proper course of action is that which maximizes utility.  Noble cause corruption is a situation where one commits an unethical act but for the greater good.  Within police corruption are the meat-eaters (aggressively seek out situations to exploit for financial gain) and the grass-eaters (not aggressive but keep gratuities).  The Code of Silence stops many officers from disclosing ethical misconduct by other officers.  The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics was first adopted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 1957, and it has been revised several times since then.  Accepted lying involves police activities intended to apprehend or entrap suspects.  Deviant lying involve situations when officers commit perjury to convict suspects or are deceptive about some activity that is illegal or unacceptable to the department or public in general.  Ethics in the courts involves judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other court employees.  The Ethical Reform Act addressed a number of areas of ethical concern and created the Whistleblower Protection Act.

Objectives:

• Articulate legitimate ethical dilemmas that arise with police, courts, and corrections practitioners
   
• Describe the codes and canons of ethics that exist in police, courts, and corrections
   
• Explain the philosophical foundations that underlie and mold modern ethical behavior
   
• Explain why the “ends justify means” type of thinking poses problems for criminal justice and society
   
• Discuss and provide examples of absolute and relative ethics
   
• Define noble cause corruption
   
• Review the utilitarian approach to ethics
   
• Clarify the controversy surrounding the acceptance of gratuities, as well as a proposed model for determining whether or not such acceptance is corrupt in nature
   
• Delineate the unique kinds of ethical considerations and obligations that exist with federal employees
   
• Discuss the need for, and application of, ethical standards as they concern police, courts, and corrections practitioners

Outline:

• Good Examples of Bad Examples
   
  • Examples are given in the book concerning police, courts, and corrections.
     
• Philosophical Foundations
   
  • Ethics: a set of rules or values that spell out appropriate human conduct
     
  • Types of Ethics
     
  • Noble Cause Corruption
     
• Ethics in Policing
   
  • A Primer: The Oral Interview
     
  • Police Corruption
     
  • To Inform or Not to Inform: The Code of Silence
     
  • The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and Oath of Honor
     
  • Accepted and Deviant Lying
     
  • Accepting Gratuities
     
  • Greed and Temptation
     
• Ethics in the Courts
   
  • The Evolution of Standards of Conduct
     
  • The Judge
     
  • Prosecutors
     
  • Defense Attorneys
     
  • Other Court Employees
     
• Ethical Conduct of Federal Employees
   
  • The Ethics Reform Act
     
  • The Federal Judiciary
     
• Ethics in Corrections
   
  • The strength of the corrections subculture correlates with the security level of a correctional facility and is strongest in maximum-security institutions
     
  • Norms
     
• Ethics Tests for the Criminal Justice Student
   
  • Test of common sense. Does the act make sense, or would someone look askance at it?
     
  • Test of publicity. Would you be willing to see what you did highlighted on the front page of the local newspaper?
     
  • Test of one’s best self. Will the act fit the concept of oneself at one’s best?
     
  • Test of one’s most admired personality. What would one’s parents or minister do in this situation?
     
  • Test of hurting someone else. Will it cause pain for someone?
     
  • Test of foresight. What is the long-term likely result?