NCJ Number
133636
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 77-86
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Because of the unique real world mission of criminal justice, criminal justice curricula would seem to be in great need of specific education in the area of ethics and moral problem-solving.
Abstract
The first issue in creating an ethics course is to decide whether the material would be presented as a component of an existing core course or as a separate course exploring ethical dilemmas from the entire range of the criminal justice system. The ideal is to offer a combination of both approaches. The suggested scope of an ethics course would include, inter alia, discussions of the classical ethical models, the development of laws, lawbreaking, the exercise of discretion, the use of force, equal protection, rewards in various forms, and loyalty. The ideal instructor would be someone who brings both real world experience and a grounding in ethical theory to the classroom. The course can be constructed on an information-based model, a series of presentations on current problems in criminal justice, or a curriculum to help students develop their own processes for problem-solving. 5 references