Ethical Leadership in Criminal Justice and Correctional Organisations Essay

Total Length: 775 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

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The significance of ethical leadership in criminal justice and correctional organisations cannot be overemphasised. These organisations must put in place and enforce policies to ensure officers constantly act in accordance with the law and the expected ethical standards (National Institute of Corrections, 2014). Based on the Clinton Correctional Facility scenario, this paper provides a plan for implementing employment laws and policy to enhance ethical leadership at the organisation. In the scenario, correctional staff engaged in personal relationships with two felony inmates who subsequently escaped (De Avila, 2015). Such relationships have the potential to undermine the work of criminal justice and correctional relationships, underscoring the importance of ethical leadership. The plan specifically highlights the employment and policy issues in the scenario and their associated consequences, and recommends necessary steps to address the issues.     

Legally and ethically, correctional officers are not allowed to have intimate relationships with inmates. Nevertheless, staff-inmate personal relationships in the U.S. remain a problematic issue, with many relationships being even consensual as opposed to forced (Carlson & Garrett, 2008). The trend has been attributed to, among other factors, an increase in the number of female prison officers, ignorance of rules and procedures, as well as a culture of complacency amongst prison officers.

Personal relationships between correctional staff and prisoners could eventually turn out to be sexual, resulting in negative consequences.

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The relationships can compromise the ability of correctional staff to act objectively (Bennett, Crewe, & Wahidin, 2012). More specifically, inmates can use personal relationships with prison employees to manipulate officers to act in their favour. In this scenario, for instance, a female prison officer Joyce Mitchell developed personal relationships with sentenced killers David Sweat and Richard Matt, which ultimately aided the inmates in escaping from prison. Additionally, personal relationships between prison officers and inmates may put the safety of both the officer and the inmate at risk. Other forms of misconduct may also crop as a result of close staff-inmate relationships – e.g. subjection of prison staff to extortion demands and to violation of prison rules, smuggling of contraband into prison, bribery, and deception of authorities (Carlson & Garrett, 2008). All these outcomes can hinder correctional organisations from achieving their core mandate. 

            In the scenario, prison officials had suspected a personal relationship between Ms. Mitchell and Sweat, but did not take any action against her in spite of investigations. This without a doubt points to ethical….....

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"Ethical Leadership In Criminal Justice And Correctional Organisations" (2017, August 23) Retrieved May 15, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ethical-leadership-criminal-justice-correctional-2165890

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"Ethical Leadership In Criminal Justice And Correctional Organisations" 23 August 2017. Web.15 May. 2024. <
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Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

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"Ethical Leadership In Criminal Justice And Correctional Organisations", 23 August 2017, Accessed.15 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ethical-leadership-criminal-justice-correctional-2165890