We know that police officers use excessive force, and they also use their authority to verbally abuse people. So what causes police officers to abuse their authority, and (or) leads to brutality? One of the challenges with this is that not every citizen reports a police brutality, whether they see one happening, heard of one happening from their friends or family or if they themselves were a victim of one. Another challenging issue too is that we know some brutalities are not reported; therefore it makes it harder to measure those versus what is actually reported. Police brutality wouldn’t be an issue if we didn’t have to police our law enforcement officers.
When misconduct or mistakes are made it can have very damaging effects on individuals and their lives, but also to the credibility of the criminal justice system. This can happen and does on occasion (Meyer & Grant, 2003). How can we improve consistency in how prosecutors accept case work? When assessing possible improvements to the consistency of how prosecutors accept case work, there are no simple answers. Putting strict demands on what a prosecutor
Ethics in Criminal Justice Debate July, 13 2013 CJA 484 Ralph Brown Ethics in Criminal Justice Debate Within the criminal justice system ethical and professional behavior are important. Ethical behavior allows a person to distinguish what is right from wrong based on a person’s moral principle. Within the profession of criminal justice many are faced on a daily bases with ethical dilemmas. It is important that ethical actions are taken, because if unethical acts occur it can become a serious problem for the individual. Professional behavior is needed when using ethical behavior.
When talking about the administration of the criminal justice system, it mainly pertains to the administration of police and sheriff departments since they are the ones that have the most struggles when dealing with ethics and professional behavior. There are some circumstances that might be found difficult to handle ("Sage Pub", 2004). Criminal justice administration does have the obligation of making moral judgments of what is right and what is wrong and this judgment must be done in a professional manner as well as apply critical thinking to the problems ("Sage Pub", 2004). If a law enforcement officer acts unethical, the consequences are not only quite serious, but one law enforcement officer’s unethical act can create numerous possible conflicts to arise in other areas of the department ("Sage Pub", 2004). It is also more difficult for the officer because they have to think twice about the type of behavior they are exhibiting.
Criminal Justice System Ethical issues in criminal justice have been addressed on both a philosophical and historical level. Ethical issues have existed in relation to government, policing and international politics for centuries. The standard code of ethics that law enforcement personnel and public servants are asked to uphold can often be translated subjectively by individuals, resulting in the possibility of ethically questionable conduct. Ethical issues regarding brutality, corruption and off-duty behavior have become an increasing challenge in criminal justice. Law enforcement personnel are subject to a battery of examinations to prove they have the will and mental capacity to perform the functions of a public servant or law enforcement
Controlling Police Brutality The police have served an integral part in society as out protectors. Throughout the years, however, scholars as well as we citizens have begun to question the use of force, racism and internal corruption as well as other forms of misconduct by our officers of the law. The excessive use of force by police officers persists because of overwhelming barriers to their accountability. For instance, when police do get in trouble, it is normally a slap on the wrist, a lecture or loss of a vacation day as it stated in the article “Good Cop Bad Cop.” This fact makes it possible for officers who commit these violations to escape punishment and then often repeat their offenses. Every report of abuse is often met with denial or explanation of why the abuse was necessary instead of taking any real action like a suspension or removal of their badge in most cases.
Therefore it is functional for crime to keep the people informed on the boundaries of their society. Durkheim suggests that crime reaffirms the boundaries making it functional and positive. Every time a person commits a crime and is taken to court the publicity of the court case in the newspaper, publicly re-affirms the boundaries of society. This is more evident in societies that still use public punishment systems for example the lethal injection is still used in some American states (Texas) these executions are normally open for the public to watch. Changing values can also affect the law in the sense that every so often the public with have sympathy for someone who is being prosecuted for a certain crime and the law may eventually be changed to reflect the changing attitudes of society.
My Personal Code of Ethics First we need to consider what ethics is and what it means to us as individuals. Ethics is basically the study of morality and moral issues. It helps us understand how wrong and right relate to human behavior. Giving us a much better understanding of why people react the way they do in many different situations. I believe that ethics are very important in creating the moral fiber of each and every individual.
Ethics in the criminal justice department are very important when it comes to the administration and measuring the ideas of values and production and deciding what is right and wrong. Individuals who are working in the criminal justice system must know that every decision that they make and the results that are chosen must all meet the needs for the citizens of that community they are serving and protecting. The same goes for the law enforcement as well when it comes to making the right decisions, both the law enforcement agencies and the citizens of the community must balance in order to work together. The concerns that come up from the citizens are those that are prosecuting the guilty but at the same time, respecting the right of those that
Ethics and Values in the Criminal Justice System Ethics and Values in the Criminal Justice System Correctional officers’ face a lot of public scrutiny and media attention due to in-custody deaths/suicides, excessive force incidents and corruption. In order to avoid these types of incidents and law suits, agencies should complete a thorough background check to ensure they are hiring an officer with a superior set of ethics and values. “Typically, ethical codes are drawn around a set of very broad principles that provide a set of ideals to which the members of the profession should aspire.”(Faulk, 1995) In the corrections profession, ethical priorities are: protecting fellow officers, protecting inmates, protecting self and preserving institutional integrity. Most successful correctional officers possess the same set of values. These values include: honesty, integrity and the willingness to protect life without hesitation.