Ethical Dilemmas in Psychology: The Death Row Inmate (From Locked Up: Body, Mind and Soul: American Correctional Health Services Association 1994 Multidisciplinary Training Conference, P 144-153, 1994 -- See NCJ-148921)

• NCJ Number: 148927
• Author(s): S C Norton
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: American Correctional Health Services Assoc
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper discusses the appropriateness of psychological services with death row inmates and examines relevant ethical principles, with emphasis on developing guidelines for the situation.

Abstract

One ethical problems is the involvement of psychologists in a process that ends in death. Another is whether, in an inmate who psychologically deteriorates to the point of becoming legally insane, the psychologist should try to restore sanity, even though insane inmates cannot be executed and sane inmates can. Kitchener's ethical decisionmaking hierarchy begins with the facts of a situation, moves through intuition and professional codes, and ends with basic ethical principles. In the case of a death row inmate, each level of the hierarchy should be examined to determine the responsibilities of the psychologist. Other writers note that psychologists should clearly define the roles, limits, and possible outcomes for inmate treatment. Monahan recommends that psychologists consider the needs of the inmate at all times. The analysis concludes that alleviating suffering through mental health treatment is an ethically justifiable and appropriate intervention for death row inmates. 25 references