...The ethics of caring for the well being of prisoners is very complicated. The low social statuses of prisoner’s means they are excluded from the mainstream of society. They experience stigma and discrimination behind bars and are often regarded as "unworthy" in the general community. This paper will identify the ethical issues and problems prisoners face in the areas of harsher punishment and abuse, and how utilitarianism and relativism plays a vital role in resolving some of the ethical issues in prisons. Imprisonment as punishment for crimes was first used during the sixteenth century in Europe. Prior to that, criminal correction usually consisted of enslavement or swift physical punishment such as whipping or execution. According to Michael Hardy (1998) prison was conceived as a more humane response to criminal behavior. Europeans established colonies in America in the seventeenth century and they continued the practice of imprisoning those convicted of crimes (Hardy, 1998). During the colonial era, the number of Americans in prison made up a small, barely noticeable segment of the population. Today, this has changed dramatically. According to statistics from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice, if incarceration rates continue unchanged, 1 out of every 20 Americans alive today will be imprisoned at some time in their lives. This is due in part to new crime laws such as “three strikes and you’re out” and tougher sentencing for drug-related offenses (Bureau of Justice...
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...Ethical Treatment of Prisoners By: Melisa Johnson Soc120: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Instructor: Nikolas Larrow Roberts October 8, 2012 Ethical treatment of prisoners sometimes seems to have a grey area, among society and sometimes among those sworn to take care of them, the correctional officer. “There has never been a question about the stress associated with caring for individuals who have tremendous animosity towards you.” (The ethics of caring for those who hate you, 2006) A correctional officer is held to a higher standard than the average public. Correctional officers at all times are expected to be respectful, and impartial to all prisoners. Regardless of personal beliefs about a prisoners charges or an individual prisoner, correctional officers must be an outstanding role models for others they are around. Dealing with prisoners correctional officers cannot become too friendly; they must maintain fair and impartial judgment. Correctional officers still must remember they are prisoners. There is thin line between be friendly towards prisoners and making prisoners incarceration a living hell. National Prison Association founded in 1870, is the oldest association developed for those who work in the corrections profession. The association had its first meeting in Cincinnati Ohio. The then governor of Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes (later became president of The United States), was elected as president of the association. The association developed...
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...Running head: ETHICAL TREATMENT OF PRISONERS 1 Ethical treatment of prisoners Jacqueline Arnold SOC120 Instructor Mark Cohen November 1, 2012 ETHICAL TREATMENT OF PRISONERS 2 The ethical treatment of prisoners, there are millions of people in prison all over the United States, but the ethical treatment of the prisoners’ rights must be analyzed. As a society, have we done all we can regarding the treatment of prisoners? Alternatively, can we say we have made prison an easy way of life that is no longer a punishment for some? Utilitarianism is the belief those moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members. (Mosser, 2010). In February 2010, the House of Delegates approved a set of Criminal Justice Standards on Treatment of Prisoners. The term “prison” means a correctional facility holding primarily prisoners sentenced to a term of at least one year. In the terms of a “prisoner” means any person incarcerated in a correctional facility. The argument could be is that prisoners are being treated good, but some say that they are not being treated like prisoners. However, when you think back many years ago, prisoners did not have any rights. The wardens run the prison as they saw fit. As for the prisoners in the day, they would be taken out and beaten, whipped, and even killed. But with the the ethical treatment of prisoners today, includes a humane and healthful...
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...Reflective Paper Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Johni K. Anglin SOC 120 Cornell Horn January 28, 2013 Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Societies Forgotten One may ask."What represents ethical treatment of prisoners?" What's more, does it make a difference as to what the prisoners crime is as to what kind of treatment would be considered ethical? For example, should a terrorist be treated differently than a thief? Additionally, who is to decide what kind of treatment of prisoners, regardless of crime, is ethical and what is not? What standard determines ethical versus unethical? Who really concerns themselves which such questions? Is ethical treatment of prisoners related to profitability in our country?"It is argued that Plato was right in claiming that justice is more profitable, more rational, and more intrinsically valuable than injustice (Velasquez 1996). Certainly mistreatment of the least among us is injustice. If so then the question may then become, "What is justice?" To be sure, it seems that there may well be more questions regarding the ethics surrounding treatment of prisoners than solid answers. For these reasons, it is necessary that the ethical treatment of prisoners be examined. I submit that we, as a society, are only as good as the treatment that we mete out to the lowest of our population. Do certain sectors of society like having a "prison-class" of criminals so that perhaps their transgressions against society may go unnoticed In order to successfully...
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...TOPIC #4: Human Experimentation PRO: Prisoners should be allowed to participate in human research CON: Prisoners should not be allowed to participate in human research History and definitions Dating back to 1965, seventy-five prisoners at Holmesburg prison in Pennsylvania were purposely exposed to a poisonous agent. This study was conducted to determine the effects of dioxin, a potentially harmful substance. Dermatologist Dr. Albert Kligman, exposed prisoners to a dosage 468 times greater than the required dosage for the experiment. All evidence has been destroyed; however, participants are still experiencing dermatologic issues. As a result of research and experiments like these conducted in prisons, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare terminated the use of prisoners as subjects. Shortly after, the federal government passed strict guidelines limiting the scope of experimentation among prisoners. These guidelines passed, codified at Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, in 1978. Although prisoner research has been outlawed decades ago, it is far from over (Reiter, 2009). Certain guidelines are in place to protect human subjects in research. “The Common Rule” provides for the proposed research to be reviewed by the institutional review board (IRB) in addition to requiring informed consent. A review body, known as the Institutional review board (IRB) was established to protect the natural rights and welfare of persons subjected to scientific research...
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...Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Scott Bain SOC120: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Instructor: Steven Smith 7/29/2013 Ethical Treatment of Prisoners The word prisoner, or as the correctional institutions refer to their population, inmates, is defined as a person who is deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody (na, 2013, Merriam Webster Dictionary). If convicted by a jury of your peers of a crime in the United States you automatically forfeit certain privileges guaranteed to all citizens. The constitution however does assure that prisoners have basic rights and protections which must be observed. We are all members of the human race and the ethical treatment of everyone, incrassated or free, must continue in order to maintain balance and order in a free democratic society. Incrassation as punishment for committing a crime was rarely used up until the 18 century; instead sentences were normally decided on the spot, usually the accused was either sent to the gallows or set free from lack of evidence. Capital punishment was used regularly and was thought to be a justifiable deterrent to violent crimes in the early years of the United States. Although prisons were some of the first structures built by the early Americans, they were not built as a place intended for punishment of the general population, instead they were reserved for high ranking political figures convicted of crimes, or for individuals in...
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...Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Name SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: November 20, 2012 The life of prisoners some may never know. There are those who care not to know what goes on behind that wired fence. We find that some people that are convicted of crimes that they did not commit. Some people would rather turn their heads to what actually happens in a prison institution, because they feel it is no concern of theirs. Innocent women and men face a disaster in life when they find their selves incarcerated in such facility as these. The treatment in prison facilities toward prisoners with health issues or those who develop health concerns that head officials should take control over. Prisoners receive neglect in many different ways that may end their lives. In my essay, I will share with you the life of a man in prison and the treatment that he received from correctional officers. Every prison environment makes it hard to assure minimal standards for ethical research and voluntary informed consent and privacy. Privacy for those who are in these facilities has many concerns to family members who are looking in from the outside. Health issues and concerns for inmates and neglect that occurs in correctional facilities have been concerns that continue to go unnoticed. The state seems to under staff in some areas of managing inmate’s health problems. There are many who may go unattended...
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...right issues the laws have changed for prisoners. Despite the laws and previsions that has been put in place to protect the human rights of prisoners and make sure they pay their debt to society, several people think that it is not enough or it is too much on both sides of the issue. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines the moral value of an act in terms of its results and if those results produce the greatest good for the greatest number (Mosser, 2010). From the utilitarianism perspective the issues with prisoner may be they are treated unfairly or too well. For several years the treatment of prisoners has been very poor and inhumane. In the pass prisoners were often beaten and put to death as a form of punishment. Prisoners live in poor conditions and were denied food and water at times. Various adjustments have been made to please the ethical and moral views of society. In 1909 when the Georgia Supreme Court granted prisoners civil rights despite not have other liberties Davenport (2009). Many people feel that prisoner should not have even human rights because they violated the law that puts them in the predicament. Therefor they prisoner should accept the punishment and also the hard life of the prison system. When prisoners face abuse, rapes and violate attacks no one seen to be outrage because some may feel “there is an eye for an eye” and the prisoner is getting just what they deserve. Some...
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...Administrative Ethical Issues Nicole L. Clayton HCS/335 25 July 2011 Patricia Daugherty Administrative Ethics Paper Ethical issues are a constant in the healthcare world. Finding the line between what is legally right and what is ethical is not a simple task. In recent news a Turkish doctor is being tried for that very reason. The doctor on trial refused to treat a patient because the scenario would have required him to breach the doctor-patient confidentiality law. However, the gendarmeries were bound under orders to not leave the patient, who was also a prisoner, unsupervised due to the Tripartite Protocol. In this paper legal and ethical issues that arise from both sides, when each party is bound by separate laws, as well as what happens when these laws overlap. Issue and Impact With the case regarding Sadık Çayan Mulamahmutoğlu, a physician from south-eastern Turkey whom refused treatment of an inmate brought into the medical facility where he was working, for concerns that the scenario would violate the doctor patient confidentiality law (Bianet, 2011). This case will affect all prisoners that require healthcare treatments in a hospital setting, the law enforcement officials required to supervise the inmate and the medical professionals called on to treat the patient. This does not include the general public who agree with one side or the other. The media surrounding this case is getting many people who side with the medical professionals and less with the...
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...Research Involving Prisoners: Ethical Values and Legal Regulation Lawrence O. Gostin Georgetown University Law Center, gostin@law.georgetown.edu Georgetown Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper No. 976413 This paper can be downloaded free of charge from: http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/479 http://ssrn.com/abstract=976413 297 JAMA 737-740 (2007) This open-access article is brought to you by the Georgetown Law Library. Posted with permission of the author. COMMENTARIES Biomedical Research Involving Prisoners Ethical Values and Legal Regulation Lawrence O. Gostin, JD U NTIL THE EARLY 1970 S , R. J. R EYNOLDS , D OW Chemical, the US Army, major pharmaceutical companies, and other sponsors conducted a wide variety of research on prisoners—a captive, vulnerable, and easily accessible population.1,2 During that time, approximately 90% of all pharmaceutical research was conducted on prisoners, who also were subjected to biochemical research ranging from testing diet drinks and simple detergents to studies involving dioxin and chemical warfare agents.3 From 1962 to 1966, for example, 33 pharmaceutical companies tested 153 experimental drugs at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, including a Retin-A (tretinoin) study in which researchers did not seek informed consent and prisoners were not adequately treated for pain.4 By the mid-1970s, biomedical research in prisons sharply declined as knowledge of the exploitation of prisoners began to emerge...
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...Introduction The ethical are a constant in the healthcare world. When finding the line between what is legally right and what is not ethical is not a simple task. There was recent news in Turkish doctor is being tired for that reason. The doctor was on trial because he refused to treat a patent because of the scenario whole have required him to breach the doctor-patient confidentially law. The gendarmeries were bound under the order to not leave the patient, which was also a prisoner, unsupervised due to the Tripartite Protocol. In this paper I will be talking about legal and ethical issue that will arise from both sides, when each of the party is bound by separates laws, as well as what happen what these laws overlap. Issue and impact With the case with regarding Sadik Cayan, Mulamahmutoğlu with a physician from south-eastern turkey whom refused a treatment of an inmate who was brought in the medical facility where we was working, for his concerns that the scenario would the doctor patient confidentiality law (Bianet, 2011). The case that I am talking about will affect all of the prisoner that are require healthcare treatment in a hospital setting, the law enforcement official requited to supervise the inmate and the medical professionals to called on of the treat the of patients. This doesn’t include the general public whose does agree with one did or the other. When the media is surrounding this case it is getting people who side with the medical professionals and les...
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...Criminal Justice Ethics Tammy E. Bracewell, Ph. D. Texas A&M University 11 July 2016 With millions of people incarcerated in the United States, prisoners’ rights and their ethical treatment must be thoroughly examined. There have been many changes made over the years for inmate accommodation and the preservation of the basic human rights of inmates. The question we need to ask is enough being done when it comes to treating prisoners ethically or are their lives on the inside so comfortable that these prisoners don’t even feel as if they are being punished. Many have deep beliefs about the wrong and rights of the treatment of prisoners and they are for and against the question. According to Mosser, utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members. In light of all the newfound knowledge gained through neurobiological research, a proposal on reforming the criminal justice system and implementing a personalized therapy program makes sense, at least from a utilitarian point of view. (Grunwell, Illes, and Karkazis. 2008) There are those who feel that by looking at correctional background, we will find that that have been steps taken toward treating prisoners humanly as society progresses. In the past, the types of discipline used on prisoners included flogging, decapitating, eviscerating, torment and at times, they were even killed. Fines and property distribution were the punishments mostly used...
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...Running head: Should Prisoners Be Allowed to Participate in Research? The Pro and Cons: Should Prisoners be allowed to Participate in Research? Biomedical research is also known as medical research, which it is conducted to aid and support the knowledge in the field of medicine. It is use for evaluation or development of new treatment or drug, to learn more about a specific medication or ailment, and to evaluate the efficiency to treat a condition. All of this is done by conducting clinical trials. Those clinical trials can be performed on animals, humans, an in both depending on the stages of the trial. Trials that are conducted on animals are usually at the first stages of testing the medication, when it gets to the second and third stage they are conducted on human. The trials are open to the general population; for those who wish to volunteer and participate on a research study for a specific drug. When researches are performed on prisoners, it can raise a lot of ethical issues. “Prisoners are, by definition, a captive population, which makes them both desirable as a research subjects” (Levine, 2010). Prisoners are people who are confined and deprived of their freedom until their release, depending on the sentence imposed by the judge. Prisoners are an easy target to the research industry. It is believe that they are coerced into participating in these researches. “Inmate population has quadruple in the last 30 years, to about 2.3 million inmates” (Urbina, 2006)....
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...Administrative Ethics Paper Introduction The ethical are a constant in the healthcare world. When finding the line between what is legally right and what is not ethical is not a simple task. There was recent news in Turkish doctor is being tired for that reason. The doctor was on trial because he refused to treat a patent because of the scenario whole have required him to breach the doctor-patient confidentially law. The gendarmeries were bound under the order to not leave the patient, which was also a prisoner, unsupervised due to the Tripartite Protocol. In this paper I will be talking about legal and ethical issue that will arise from both sides, when each of the party is bound by separates laws, as well as what happen what these laws overlap. Issue and impact With the case with regarding Sadik Cayan, Mulamahmutoğlu with a physician from south-eastern turkey whom refused a treatment of an inmate who was brought in the medical facility where we was working, for his concerns that the scenario would the doctor patient confidentiality law (Bianet, 2011). The case that I am talking about will affect all of the prisoner that are require healthcare treatment in a hospital setting, the law enforcement official requited to supervise the inmate and the medical professionals to called on of the treat the of patients. This doesn’t include the general public whose does agree with one did or the other. When the media is surrounding this case it is getting people who side with the...
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...of factors in this study would not pass current ethical standards set by the American Psychological Association (APA). The first is I believe that even though all of the participants of the study were given informed consent before the start of the experiment, I don’t believe that the subjects were aware of the physical and mental humiliation that they would have to endure during its course. At the very start, the subjects were taken from in front of their homes in front of neighbors by armed police officers. They were then taken to the prison blindfolded and made to strip down naked in a degrading manner in order to purposely humiliate them. They shaved their heads in order to take away any of the prisoners personal identity. I think there was also great deception on behalf of the researchers when the participants’ families came to visit them. The guards cleaned the cells, clean shaved the prisoners, fed them a large meal and played music over the loud speakers to make the visitor blind of the real situation. This manipulation shows that Dr. Zimbardo knew that the physical conditions of the prison were unsanitary and could have posed a health risk, and that the treatment of the prisoners was in fact un-ethical. According to this website http://www.simplypsychology.org/zimbardo.html Zimbardo claimed that he could have not predicted that any of these things could have happened. Even if he felt that way, after seeing the treatment of the subjects by the guards, he should have pulled...
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