Southeast Missouri State University
Course Syllabus
Department: Criminal Justice and Sociology
Course No. CJ 640
Revision:___ New:_x_
Title of Course: Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
I.
Descriptions and Credit Hours of Course:
Catalog Description
An exploration of the ethical issues that confront criminal justice professionals. Ethical
issues include professional conduct in policing, corrections, and courts. (3)
II. Prerequisites:
Graduate standing.
III. Purposes or Objectives of the Course
1) Analyze and understand the nature of ethical, moral and legal decision-making.
2) Analyze ethical issues related to the various professional positions in the criminal
justice system, including law enforcement officers in the investigation and prosecution of
criminal offenses.
3) Analyze and synthesize ethical issues related to the courts, including professional
conduct of defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges.
4) Analyze and synthesize ethical issues related to crime control policy and research
5) Analyze and synthesize possible solutions and policy recommendations related to the
ethical considerations raised in this course.
IV. Expectations of Students
1) Students are expected to read all assigned materials and to actively participate in all
assignments.
2) Students will be required to participate in class discussions on assigned topics.
3) Students will write position papers on assigned ethical case studies.
4) Students will conduct independent research and write a comprehensive paper
discussing a selected topic relevant to ethical issues in the criminal justice system.
V. Course Outline
Introduction
(6 hours)
Ethics, Crime and Justice
Utilitarian and Deontological Approaches to Criminal Justice Ethics
Peacemaking, Justice and Ethics
Ethical Issues in Policing
(9 hours)
How Police Officers Learn Ethics
The Ethics of Deceptive Interrogation
Ethical Dilemmas in Police Work
Police Ethics and the Social Order
Ethics and the Courts
(9 hours)
Lawyers as Legal Advocates and Moral Agents.
Prosecutor Misconduct
Judicial Ethics
Criminal Sentencing: Ethical Issues and the Problems of Reform
Crime and Punishment: Punishment Philosophies and Ethical Dilemmas
Morality, Ethics, and the Death Penalty
Ethical Issues in Corrections
(9 hours)
Ethical Issues in Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections
Restorative Justice and the Peacemaking Ethic
Prison Corruption and Control
Ethics and Prison: Selected Issues
Ethical Issues in Crime Control Policy and Research
(9 hours)
Crime and Justice Myths
Ethics and Criminal Justice Research
Guantanamo and the War on Terrorism
Ethics and the Future
(3 hours)
Criminal Justice: An Ethic for the Future
VI. Textbook and Course Materials
Required Text:
Braswell, M., McCarthy, B. & McCarthy, B. (2008) Justice, Crime and Ethics:
(ISBN 13:978-59345-513-2)
Additional Materials
Additional readings from current periodical and online sources may be required.
VII. Basis of Student Evaluation
Class discussions
20%
Position Papers
40%
Term Paper
40%
VIII. Grading Scale
Letter grades will be awarded as follows:
Graduate Students
90-100%
A
80-89%
B
70-79%
C
under 70%
F
The weight of the evaluation criteria may vary according to each instructor and will be
communicated at the beginning of the course.
IX.
Academic Policy Statement:
Students will be expected to abide by the University Policy for Academic Honesty
regarding plagiarism and academic honesty. Refer to:
http://www6.semo.edu/judaffairs/code.html
X.
Student with Disabilities Statement:
If a student has a special need addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and requires materials in an alternative format, please notify the instructor
at the beginning of the course. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate
special needs.