Criminal Justice Ethics

Ethics in Evaluating Criminal Justice Programs

Ethics in Evaluating Criminal Justice Programs
The basis for the conclusion reached, methods of evaluation, and reasoning, requires ethical guidelines and ethical individuals conducting evaluations of programs. According to Dr. Paul and Dr. Elder ethical reasoning abilities are important for numerous reasons. Dr. Paul and Dr. Elder explain how the majority of individuals “confuse ethics with behavior, in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs, and the law instead of seeing ethics as a domain unto itself, a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures” (Paul & Elder, 2003). Another definition of ethics given by
D.A.R.E is a program designed to assist young people in living a drug, alcohol, and crime free life. This program not only benefits the participants but the community as a whole. Young people who are able to educate themselves and avoid participating in criminal activities become productive law abiding adults. Drug abuse and other criminal activity lead to death, disaster, and disease for the abuser and the members of the community. The D.A.R.E program prevents drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, gang membership, and brings the community together to work towards a crime free
The fair minded person is an individual who, “develops intellectual abilities to serve one’s own interests while respecting the rights and needs of others, acts as forthrightly as possible, which results in people being treated reasonably and fairly.” These individuals are ethical, fair and just according to Paul and Elder (Paul & Elder, 2003). The interest of the evaluator should be that of a drug free society and assisting young people in resisting drug abuse and other criminal activities. Results cannot be twisted to fit the agenda of the school, politicians, or others but to benefit the participants and members of the community. Individuals such as the fair minded person conducting evaluations of the D.A.R.E program, lead to adequate funding, program design fitting the need of the client, adequate descriptions of the program, and no harm coming to participants. Only a fair minded person can conduct proper evaluations and when law enforcement officials, school officials, and members of the community are searching for program evaluators they should look for individuals who are educated, fair minded, or have experience in the matter. The evaluators should consist of law enforcement officials, school officials, social workers, and members of the community. A special staff should exist for the evaluations and have a set of