Ethical Dilemmas in Justice Studies

The criminal justice system has morphed from a harshly punitive system to a distinctively more rehabilitative and restorative one focusing on supporting victims and changing offender behavior. A variety of collaborative actors from police, courts, and corrections partner with social workers, psychologists, and community members who rely heavily on a civil law approach similar to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). While much of these innovations within criminal justice have been evolving over the last several decades, students in criminal justice programs rarely hear much, if anything, about them. This textbook seeks to address these gaps in the literature through the traditional Criminal Justice Ethics course with a case study approach. It will explore the typical subjects taught in a Criminal Justice Ethics course including the concepts of virtues, duties, ethical dilemmas, ethical systems, moral reasoning, police ethics, ethical issues in the courts, ethics within institutional and community corrections, and the ethical treatment of juveniles. In addition, the book addresses the concepts of administrative ethics, justice, comparative and international justice, humanitarian law and punishment, and corporate misconduct. Each chapter provides definitions for the terms that are being introduced, along with examples, and a variety of ethical dilemmas to work through as case studies.