1st Edition

The Ethical Foundations of Criminal Justice

    362 Pages
    by Routledge

    Ideal for anyone involved in the study of criminal justice, this book acquaints students with the philosophical concepts upon which ethical theory is based. It applies these ideas to specific issues and dilemmas within the criminal justice system. Its ultimate goal is to acquaint students with basic concepts of ethics in criminal justice and to train the mind to solve moral issues independently.
    The Ethical Foundations of Criminal Justice offers a comprehensive definition of ethics, and elucidates its unique language and logic. The book explores the major ethical theories, with extensive discussion of authorities like Kant, Aristotle, Mill, and Hobbes. Chapters investigate normative ethics, teleological theories, deontological theories, and the alternative theories of ethics.
    The author exhibits the practice of these theories in actual matters of rights, the law, and the behavior of the courts. This book addresses ethics in the context of civil liability, police corruption, and abuse of police power, and includes numerous case studies and references to other relevant works. Criminal justice majors, criminology and law school students, and even police academy cadets will find this text an invaluable source of information both for academic studies and real-world applications.

    Preface
    UNIT 1:PRELIMINARIES
  • What is Ethics or Moral Philosophy?
    Some Moral Dilemmas
    Ethics and Morality
    Ethics and Law
    Ethics and Social Science
    Ethics and Philosophy
    The Branches of Ethics
    Ethics and Other Academic Disciplines
    The Value of Ethics
    Thematic Continuities
    Perennial Problems and Issues
  • Meta-Ethics: The Language and Logic of Ethics
    Normative Statements
    The Meaning of Ethical Terms
    Logic
    Moral Reasoning
  • Moral and Cultural Relativism
    UNIT 2: NORMATIVE ETHICAL THEORY
  • Introduction
    The Nature of Ethical Theory
    Overview of Normative Ethical Theories
    Obligation and Value
  • Teleological Theories of Ethics
    Ethical Egoism
    Utilitarianism
    Assessment of Teleological Theories
  • Deontological Theories of Ethics
    The Divine Command Theory
    Natural Law Theory
    Kant's Ethics
    Ross' Prima Facie Ethics
    Act-Deontologism
    Assessment of Deontological Theories
  • Alternative Theories of Ethics
    The Social Contract Theory
    Virtue-Based Ethics
    The Ethics of Love
    UNIT 3: TOPICS IN THE ETHICS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
  • Justice
    Retributive Justice
    Utilitarian Justice
    Contractarian Justice
    Restitutive Justice
  • Juvenile Justice
    The System of Juvenile Justice
    Moral Concepts and Issues in Juvenile Justice
    Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
    Kohlberg's Stages and Juvenile Justice
    Resolving Issues in Juvenile Justice
  • Discretionary Justice
    The Anatomy of Discretionary Justice
    Discretionary Justice and the Police
    Discretionary Justice and Prosecutors
    Discretionary Justice and Sentencing
    Discretionary Justice and Parole
  • Corruption in Law Enforcement
    The Nature and Forms of Corruption
    The Causes of Corruption
    The Consequences of Corruption
    Remedies for Corruption
    Moral Implications
  • The Use of Force in Law Enforcement
    The Problem of Force
    The Moral Justification of Force
  • Biography

    Richard A. Spurgeon Hall, Carolyn Brown Dennis; Tere L. Chipman