As a correctional officer, Harry has issues handling George, an inmate. Harry feels that George is intentionally challenging his authority leading to bad blood between them. Harry encounters an ethical dilemma as he tries to punish George. He is torn between either using an informal process or maintaining a formal inmate disciplinary process in punishing George, who was found with more pictures in his cell than is required. The paper discusses the issue of dealing with inmates torn between legal procedures or applying informal means.
Harry has chosen an informal process as he believes they have tried all the proper steps at the correctional center. The formal processes have yet to change George’s conduct effectively (Banks, 2017). Therefore, Harry has chosen the informal process as the last hope towards containing George. It is an ethical issue because, even though Harry is having problems with George, the inmate still enjoys the full rights of prisoners of access to warm water and information about visitor appointments.
Facts of the Incident
It is factual that George, as a career criminal, challenges Harry’s authority and frequently defies the formal rules at the correctional center. Harry believes that taking the informal route where steps out of the set disciplinary measures to instill discipline. Harry has kept George’s door cell under lock to instill discipline in him. Harry has three informal options that he can apply to punish George. These options are not informing George of the scheduled visitor appointments, denying him toilet paper, and diverting the hot water pipe from George’s cell. He has settled on keeping George’s cell door locked during the daily prison routine in the pretense that there is a formal order to that effect. In effect, George will remain inside the cell until he can get help through the deputy superintendent, who will report on Monday.
Facts Relevant to the Decision
As a correctional officer, Harry has the value of handling all inmates reasonably while promoting their well-being. The act of George being locked up for the rest of the weekend stands for the fundamental freedom of inmates. The law stipulates that all prisoners must retain absolute liberties and human rights (Banks, 2017). Harry must understand that he will only sometimes find everyone agreeing with his manner of operation. He should let his coworker handle George for some time and see how they engage. After George disobeys another correctional officer, Harry can take up the matter through the set out legal process. Following an informal approach is against the law and may cause him problems that may lead to work termination if it is found out that he did it intentionally because of bad blood between him and George.
The workplace requires that all inmates be handled well concerning their rights, as in the constitution. It is factual that for Harry to accomplish the process informally, he has to lie to his colleagues that he has an order from above to keep George locked for the better part of the weekend (Banks, 2017). An act that may land him in trouble if it gets to the authorities because that is not what is required by law. Harry feels that he has to show all the inmates, including George, that he has power and authority over them, even if it means going the informal way.
Ethical Egoism
It is factual that Harry and George do not relate well at the facility. Harry’s informal way of administering punishment to George will worsen their relationship. Harry will apply ethical egoism to the dilemma at hand in handling the inmates. Ethical egoism is the accepted view that promoting one’s well is morally acceptable. According to the robust version, it is always moral to advance one’s welfare, and it is never moral not to. Harry believes locking up George will demonstrate to his coworkers that he can control him. It is the culture of the prison that officers should not be lenient when handling inmates. Every correctional officer should support their coworkers without question if an inmate shows resistance.
Available Courses
Harry has formal and informal disciplinary options available that he can apply in this situation. However, formal options have not been effective thereby prompting Harry to use informal actions, that include keeping George’s cell locked, not informing the inmate about the scheduled visits, withholding the toilet paper, and redirecting hot water from the inmate’s room (Banks, 2017). All the options are applicable, but how George perceives them will define their relationship in the future.
Most Ethical Approach
Harry believes that informal methods can effectively handle George because he has tried all the formal processes without success. Denying George access to social amenities while locked up in the cell may or may not be a lesson to him (Banks, 2017). There are two ways that the actions by Harry can take. George will understand that Harry has power over him and should be respected, or the hate will even double.
In conclusion, Harry should choose the most appropriate ethical course by comparing the formal and the informal. I argue for the formal discipline process set at the correctional center to help all inmates understand what is wrong and right for society. Even though it has not been effective in George’s situation, Harry should propose that the regulations be reviewed to be effective.
Reference
Banks, C. (2017) Criminal justice ethics: Theory and practice. SAGE, Los Angeles.