Criminal Justice Ethics

Catalog description

At the core of every aspect of the field of criminal justice is an ethical dilemma involving human behavior and individual decision-making. As such, this course provides an in-depth examination of the three major schools of ethical thought (virtue, formalism, and utilitarianism) in order to illustrate how individual ethics directly influences decision-making, and to help students develop comprehensive ethical reasoning skills. Through the examination of hypothetical case studies, actual criminal justice events, and extensive debate, this course explores the three major areas of criminal justice to include law enforcement, courts, and corrections, in order to provide students with the opportunity to observe and evaluate the direct connection between ethics and specific aspects of the criminal justice system.