Examples of Ethical and Professional Practice in the Criminal Justice System

Honesty is one of the most important characteristics an officer in the criminal justice system can have. Unlike other careers, there are many times when the officers are on their own without any supervision. An officer can find themselves in situations that require them to have the integrity to remain strong in the presence of temptation. This milestone will give some examples of everyday situations that officers may find themselves in. Do you have the fortitude to make the right decision?

Read the following scenarios and answer each prompt. Remember, you may complete your project as either a Word document or as a presentation. If you select a presentation, it should be submitted as 2–3 slides. If you select a Word document, it should be 1–2 pages.

Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed: 

When people see criminal justice practitioners, they expect them to have strong ethical beliefs and act professionally at all times. In this part of the career investigation, you will now think about some scenarios where each of the branches must act ethically and professionally to see which of the professions fits best with how you think and act. Read the following scenarios and answer each prompt. 

a) While on duty, a uniformed police officer went to a crowded neighborhood deli at lunchtime to buy a sandwich. The deli owner, Ari, told the officer that it was on the house and payment was not necessary. What professional and ethical standardsshould be in place from the police department to assist this officer in his decision making, and why should they be put in place?

b) A prison guard was assigned to patrol Cell Block 4. One of the guard’s high school buddies, Ray, is incarcerated on the same cell block for possession of narcotics. Cigarettes are not allowed on prison property. While the guard was patrolling the cell block, Ray was smoking a cigarette. If Ray is reported by the guard, he will not be eligible for parole. Ray pleads the guard to not report him. What professional and ethical standards should be in place from the prison administration to assist this guard with decision making, and why should they be put in place?

c) What basic principle of constitutional law must a police officer, but not always a probation officer, follow when conducting an ethical and legal search of a probationer’s house? Explain why this law is applicable to this situation.

d) Select one court case where ethics or professional practice was a driving factor, and discuss the impact of that case in reshaping the role of the practitioner in the court system. Choose one of the three cases below to complete critical element D. You will use this same case study when submitting your final project:

e) Based on the ethical and professional practices of each of the branches, which career path is most in line with your ethical beliefs and professional disposition, and why?