Criminal Justice: CRJU 1400 Ethics/Cultural Perspectives for Criminal Justice

Ethics & Cultural Perspectives for Criminal Justice

Students will learn about the following topics in the Ethics & Cultural Perspectives for Criminal Justice course:

Criminal Justice and the Study of Morality

Applying Ethics: Utilizing Normative frameworks for Decision-making

Why We Should Be Good?

Becoming Ethical: The Development of Morality

Free Will and Moral Responsibility

The Examined Life: A Guide to Critical Ethical Thinking

Respecting Persons, Respecting Rights: The Ethics of Duty

Means and Ends: The Importance of Consequences

Morality, Human Nature, and Social Cooperation

Accountability: Ethics, Use of Force, Corruption, and Discipline

Multicultural Communities Challenges for Law Enforcement

The Changing Law Enforcement Agency: A Microcosm of Society

Cross-Cultural Communication for Law Enforcement

Code of Ethics for Law Enforcement

Ethics can be defined as the philosophical study of morality. What is considered morally right or wrong.

Morality: People's values, beliefs about what is right or wrong, bad or good, the choices they make and the results of the actions they take based on their believe's of what is good or bad.

Morality and Ethics is very important when it comes to the criminal justice system. Ethics and morality must be involved in every aspect of the criminal justice system in order for it to function properly.

Professions in the Criminal Justice field have the authority, power, and discretion when imposing authority and using force in various situations they come across. These powers give them increase responsibility and opportunity. Having morality and making ethical sound choices will make sure they use there authority appropriately. 

Criminal Justice Agents are public servants therefore the power they receive for enforcing laws is entrusted to them by the people they serve. Criminal justice professionals must fulfill the functions of their jobs respectively but also do so in a way to serve as role models for others.

The behavior of individuals within the criminal justice field reflects not only on themselves but the institute in which they serve. for instance, When an office is accused of corruption or brutality the public sees them as a whole agency or police in general, rather than an individual. 

The Basic approach for moral issues:

Facts of the issue or situation   +   Moral Criteria (goods, principles, virtues)  =  Practical Conclusion (good decisions or actions)

Specific Approach for moral issues:

Facts of the issue or situation   +   Moral Criteria (Emphasized by ethical framework)  =  Practical Conclusion (good decisions or actions)

Ethical Decision making

Utilitarianism: in reaching conclusions about moral issues or in making ethical decisions we should consider the benefits and harms that it would bring to all those involved.

Kantianism: it is not the consequences of our actions but the actions themselves in which we should be concerned with. Act in accordance with our moral duties.​

Virtue: Exercise judgment, consider all relevant factors and figure out a course of action that is virtuous in the given specific situation

Ethics of care: deals with emotion. what is the caring thing to do. don't let negative things influence your decisions such as greed, prejudice, hatred or pride.

Prima Facie Duties: list of duties or obligations we have to ourselves and others. These include Honesty, promise-keeping, nonharm, doing good, autonomy, and justice

Duties: what duties, rights, principles or obligations apply to the situation and what decision will most likely follow or fulfill these duties.

Ethics in Law Enforcement 

Ethics in Law Enforcement textbook 2015 BCcampus

Community and the Justice System