Criminal justice systems and practices

Criminal Justice Ethics Journals

Journal 1: "Prosecutor Taking Over Justice Ethics Unit," CBS News

The replacement of the head of the internal ethics unit in the U.S. Department of Justice came just one day after a criminal investigation was ordered into the department's handling of the Ted Steven's prosecution. In some ways, this move could be seen as an attempt at restoring the ethics of the department. However, it seems to me that this is more an attempt to mask the problems and possibly even obfuscate the investigation by changing leadership and making direct access to information more difficult. Even if this is the case, though, it would not matter from a utilitarian point-of-view. The person being placed at the head of the ethics department has an impeccable ethical record herself, so regardless of the reasons for her appointment at this time the results will have a definite benefit in the world of justice, rendering it an ethical move.

Journal 2: "Many immigrants deported for nonviolent crimes," LA Times

This article describes the stepped up efforts by the U.S. federal government in arresting and deporting illegal immigrants that have committed non-violent crimes, despite repeated assertions that they are only after violent criminals. Though there is something to be said for upholding the law of the land in deporting any illegal immigrants, ethics demands a proper allocation of limited resources. There are certainly many more pressing issues requiring federal attention, notably national security at ports and airports. A utilitarian view would agree with my personal feelings on this issue; non-violent immigrants, legal or otherwise, pose little threat to the population, and deportation certainly is not good for the immigrants, either.

Journal 3: "Mayor Bloomberg and the Economics of Violent Crime," Wall Street Journal

Mayor Bloomberg recently challenged the commonly held belief the poor economic times leads to a rise in crime. An actual analysis of crime rates shows a strong correlation between rising unemployment rates and an increase in incidence of property crimes, but no such relationship exists when it comes to violent crimes. This becomes an ethical issue when strategies are developed to combat crime; focusing attention on low-income areas and those at risk for higher unemployment could amount to a type of persecution. I find this somewhat morally repugnant, and yet to provide the greatest good with limited resources it is necessary to use all of the information available. Knowing what types of crime will be on the increase and in what areas they are likely to be occurring allows law enforcement to make more efficient decisions.

Journal 4: "Trial set to begin in slaying of transgender woman," Associated Press

The tragic slaying of a transgendered woman is about to undergo prosecution, and an extra penalty for the murder being a bias-motivated crime is being considered. Such enhancements are not new, but they have always been ethically questionable. Deontologically speaking, the act of murder was made more heinous because it was motivated by such a base impulse. But our legal system is largely built on the pragmatism of utilitarian ethics, and from this point-of-view sentencing enhancements do not make ethical sense. I personally disagree with sentencing enhancements; the act is bad enough for what it is, and it is not the government's job to regulate thought or judge the correctness of any belief, no matter how discriminatory -- it is only action that can be prosecuted.

Journal 5: Crime Pays: "Cops Given £5.5m of Seized Assets," BBC News

Five and a half million pounds derived from assets seized in criminal investigations will be distributed to police officers in England and Wales, according to this article. Though the assets were seized without any promise or even expectation of individual officers gaining personal financial rewards, the ethical considerations of this problem are fairly obvious. It sets a dangerous precedent for future investigations involving large amounts of cash, expensive cars and homes, and other goods and property that is easily saleable at the completion of an investigation. The wide distribution of the money derived from the seized assets does something to alleviate the ethical problem that this situation clearly presents, but it does not solve the problem.

Journal 6: "RCPD say small percent of offenders produce large percent of crime," Riley County Kansas Channel 49 News

There is strong evidence that criminal offenders, especially those that commit certain types of crimes, have a high rate of recidivism. This article bears out that fact, and includes the rather controversial statement that "If you arrest the right people...the crime rate goes down." Again, the moral repugnance of such a perspective is quickly tempered by the practical results of such a view. The article details the case of a nineteen-year-old male who has been repeatedly charged with burglaries. Obviously, putting him in jail will stop him from committing more burglaries. Though targeting certain people for extra criminal scrutiny must always be done with extreme caution, ethically speaking, the use of past criminal behavior as a means for identifying future criminals is a practical means of protecting the greater population.

Journal 7: "Crime in black communities explored," Louisville Courier-Journal