A college course in applied ethics for criminal justice

The performance of law enforcement officers and officials both reflect and impose the values of a society. The social order demands a cadre of men and women loyal to the social norms of the community and the government. When those in law enforcement fail to act ethically, there is erosion of public trust in government's ability to protect and provide justice. Assuming we all want an ethical society and that we embrace a shared definition of what that means, we can then address the best method(s) available to us as educators and trainers for assuring that these people are best able to fulfill their mission. Agencies can obviously try to recruit people of virtue and integrity, but even when they are successful that does not guarantee that they can withstand the mounting pressures of the job which undermine even the best of intentions. Lawrence Sherman's article supporting pre-service courses in ethics, "Learning Ethics Differently", (1982) said a person's occupational career starts with choice: who chooses, how they are chosen and why they choose (recruitment). The second step according to Sherman is introduction: how they are introduced into the career (personal experience, media, training and education). The third step is the first encounter and how the person internalizes their response to the event, followed by step four which is their metamorphosis into either a professional officer, self actualized and self-monitoring individual or one who is increasingly vulnerable to negative influences and unethical behavior. This presentation notes the justification for teaching ethics and outlines a college level course for pre-service students which most directly addresses the second step of Sherman's path to an ethical career in policing. The presentation provides the philosophical framework and instructional methodology for the curriculum. it shares some of the more unique and powerful exercises I have developed over the past 15 years of teaching Applied Ethics in Criminal Justice. If the course learning objectives are met, they can positively influence all the other steps in Sherman's career transitions with the result that students will go on to become professional, ethical officers.