Download Education, Training and Ethical Dilemmas: Responses of Criminal

Education, Training and Ethical Dilemmas: Responses of Criminal
Justice Practitioners Regarding Professional and Ethical Issues
Jennifer M. Allen, Bonny Mhlanga, and Emran W. Khan
All professionals in the corrections and law-enforcement field must be aware and sensitive to
ethical dilemmas confronted in the course of their duties. One key skill is the ability to determine
the right thing to do when challenged with common but somewhat enticing situations in criminal
justice. Training and education in proper behavior and professional standards is imperative in
creating ethical workers. Administrators, educators, trainers, and field professionals must include
exercises that increase reasoning capacities and aid individuals in recognizing the ethical
consequences of various actions or inactions. In this exploratory study the researchers sought to
identify how criminal justice professionals from a variety of specialties responded to written
situations involving ethical or moral actions. Additionally, the study examined the training and
education provided to the respondents in the course of their jobs and/or schooling. The
researchers analyzed the utility of continued education in socially acceptable moral and ethical
standards within the field of criminal justice.
Rekindling Police Burnout: Implications for the Motivation and
Retention of Personnel
Gene L. Scaramella, Edward W. Shannon and Mario A. Giannoni
A qualitative research design was utilized to address the issue of police burnout as described in the
pertinent literature. The goals of the study were to determine the causes of burnout among a
sample of recently retired or separated police officers and what could be done to alleviate those
feelings. Data gleaned from respondents produced three common themes: benefits of higher
education (graduate degrees); physical separation from the policing environment coupled with
critical reflection of their careers; and the art or practice of teaching traditional age students
courses in criminal justice in a higher education setting. Respondents reported all of these factors
combined to alleviate their former feelings of burnout and to significantly transform their previous
perspectives of the field of policing. The conclusions section of the report offer sound
recommendations for an improved response to the individual and organizational consequences of
police burnout.
Professional Practice Models of Criminal Justice Education in
Traditional versus Online Environments
Robert D. Hanser, Joseph P. Akpan, Nathan R. Moran, and Alicia D. Wilson
This paper compares teaching in both the classroom and online environment. Data from two
identical criminal justice courses offered in both the traditional and online format are examined. The
researcher has substantial experience with both traditional and online educational formats at two
universities; one university is a traditionally based regional university, the other institution is a large
university system that offers all of its curriculum and instruction completely online. This paper
examines the use of practitioner-oriented approaches to teaching criminal justice coursework in
both the on-line and the traditional educational setting. Specifically, the researcher tested four main
themes identified as being part and parcel to any educational curriculum designed around a
professional practice model of education within the field of criminal justice. Strengths and
limitations associated with this approach are discussed.
Drug Court Interventions and the Role of Physical Fitness
Programming in Client Treatment Outcomes
Eric R. Thompson
Current scientific and clinical research has shown that drug use creates temporary and long-term
physiological changes within the brain. Furthermore, by stimulating beta-endorphins, dopamine,
and serotonin neurotransmitters, exercise may induce the release of natural anti-addiction
medications and alter the physiological effects of long-term drug use. This study examines the
psychological and physiological effects of addiction and exercise to determine whether an ancillary
exercise program fits into the treatment drug court curriculum. The use of exercise is based on the
idea that abstinence from drugs and alcohol begins with improved physical health. Results are
presented from a cross-sectional survey of 48 drug court participants on health and exercise. The
study details the design and implementation of an exercise program for drug court participants.
The Trafficking of Eastern European Women: An Ethnographic
Analysis
Ronald J. Reinhardt
This study was designed to examine East European women trafficked to Cook County, Illinois for
the purpose of sexual exploitation. This inquiry used an ethnographic approach in order to gain
insight into the beliefs, attitudes, values, and sub-culture of the women. The information presented
is based on qualitative interviews of eight Eastern European women that had been trafficked and
sexually exploited. Data collection primarily consisted of in-depth interviews. Throughout the data
collection process, the researcher’s experience in methods of interviewing and the use of member
checks increased the internal validity and reliability of this study. Document analysis served as a
means of triangulating data obtained from the interviews. Results of this study suggested that
compliance benefited the subject’s survival while being victimized through forced participation in
the sex industry. The various mechanisms of control and exploitation are discussed as well as the
structure and operations of criminal syndicates that commit crimes associated with the sex-trade
and human trafficking.
Getting a Clue: The Ethical Failure of Higher Education to Address a
Failed Investigative Paradigm
Raymond Rodriguez
In recent years, advances in the “hard sciences” coupled with the increasing incidence of postconviction exoneration of accused parties have forced a new criminal investigative paradigm on
law enforcement practitioners. Central to the new paradigm is an increased reliance on tangible,
scientific evidence. The increasing importance of scientific evidence must be addressed by
programs of higher education. Central to the issue is the need for change by reforming curriculum
in undergraduate criminal justice higher education to facilitate the transition to the new investigative
paradigm. This research explores the relationship of criminal justice curricula and the perpetuation
of a failed investigative paradigm. Discussion is also presented on ethical concerns associated with
the failure to reform curricula in criminal justice programs to include these inter-disciplinary
investigative paradigms that will better protect the rights of the accused and will better serve
society, thereby restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Managing an Office in a Legal Setting in the 21st Century
William I. Weston
This article is written with the legal practitioner in mind. Specific suggestions and recommendations
are provided to improve and maintain professional relationships with clients. The use of effective
office management procedures and processes will also improve the operation of a legal
practitioner’s overall service delivery to clients and to the community. Among the most important
aspects of effective office management in the legal environment is the use of effective clientcentered office management principles. This article further explains basic principles associated
with effective office management in the legal setting, covering a wide array of topics relevant to any
office manager working in the legal field.