Question

What do you think is the strongest explanation for why correctional officers will sometimes let an inmate get away with breaking the rules? What ethical dilemmas are faced daily by correctional officers that might inform their decisions on whether or not to allow rule breaking? What ethical dilemmas faced by treatment staff do you feel are the hardest to deal with? Use concrete examples to defend your positions.

Answer 1

Correctional officers will sometimes let an inmate get away with breaking the rules because they feel that invoking punishment on the inmate will result in the inmate breaking more rules and it will lead to a bad situation. Also they feel that punishing an inmate might lead to the inmate being more dangerous which is a risky and unsafe condition for all the other inmates and correctional officers as well

Correctional officers have to face daily ethical dilemmas related to whehtger they are doing the right thing or not by letting the inmates get away with breaking the rules, whether they should punsih these inmates or not, whether that punishment is justified for the inmates or not etc. These ethical dilemmas are to be faced by the correctional officers on daily basis and these dilemmas influence their decisions as well.

Ethical dilemmas such as whether or not treatment is to be provided to the inmates, if at all treatment is to be provided, what sort of treatment is required, can they escape without providing any treatment to the inmates, will the treatment provided is justified for the inmates or not, is it a fair or unfair treatment etc. are the hardest to deal with.