What Would You Do?

1. One of your inmates is a murderer. When he was 18 years old, he killed his girlfriend. He received a sentence of life with the possibility of parole. He is now 58 years old and you have come to realize that he is a model prisoner. He has shown impeccable behavior, has a job within the prison, has been around the community during furloughs and has become a positive influence and a great role model for other prisoners. Also, he has formed a bond with the victim’s family, who has forgiven him for what he has done. The victim’s family would like to see him get out on parole because they feel that he has changed his ways and feels that he is very remorseful for what he did as a teenager and would not be a threat to society. Is this enough for him to become eligible for parole? Is he really a threat to society? Psychologically is he ready to re-enter society? Do the feelings of the victim’s family play a role in determining the outcome? 2. A mentally ill patient comes in and has been sentenced to a term of 70 years in prison for committing a murder. It was found during trial that psychologically he was fine and was determined that he was to live out his sentence in a jail cell. However, when you meet with him you realize that he is severely mentally disabled and he confesses to you that thoughts of murdering an inmate run ramped in his mind. When he comes back the following day, it seems that he is a totally different person and he seems to be acting normal, as if he was never mentally ill to begin with. You have a loyalty to your client and to the system, so what do you do? Do you tell someone? Do you recommend that he should be transferred to a hospital for the mentally ill? Do you feel that he really is a threat to himself and everyone around him and the committing of another crime is imminent?
I believe that corrections officers and treatment professionals face a lot of ethical issues. One must decide whether or not someone is eligible for parole and they

Cited: 1. Pollock, Joycelyn, M. “Criminal Justice Ethics: Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice 7th Edition.” 2012, 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.