Cooper’s Ethical Decision Making Model
Valencia W. Wright
Ethics and Social Justice
HUMN – 6406F
Dr. K. Farris
Walden University
December 21, 2014
The description of this case which was taken place on April 1994, when an inmate named Preston Tate was shot and wounded by a corrections officer. This incident took place at California’s Corcoran State prison when Preston Tate and his cellmate were fighting against two rivalries who were Hispanic gang members. Following Preston Tate’s death at the hands of a prison guard and that’s when whistle blowers approached the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) with stories of abuse against the inmates (Dryburgh, 2009). Also, the Corcoran case provides understanding into of how power can be taken …show more content…
They are rules climate and the law and code climates. Employees in a rules climate demonstrate strict obedience to the policies of the organization and use these policies to make ethical decisions and resolve problems (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). Employees that are in law and code climate look to the government rules or professional conventions to resolve dilemmas ethically. Public agencies generally have strong rules and law and code climates because their activities are often constrained by outside sources, such as unions, federal law, executive orders, and professional association (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). Rothwell and Baldwin (2006) have attempted to determine whether codes of silence are more common in civilian or law enforcement objects exploring the type employee, whether the civilian or law enforcement agent, more likely to participate in a code of silence. Law enforcement agents, including guards at correction facilities are less likely than civilians to adhere to codes of silence. This is occurring because of the way law enforcement personnel are hired and trained (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). The guards could of blowed the whistle first, secondly shoot in the air, thirdly shoot to the wound and fourth shoot to kill. The guards did not blow the whistle because they follow whatever rule that they are trained with. A lot of the officers (guards) are under the code of silence and will never …show more content…
Riggs and Caruso acted in the public interest even through, as active correction officers at Corcoran, they were putting themselves in a position to be retaliated against, a decision that clearly ran against their self – interest. Their behavior had a rational motive because they were advocating to protect the civil rights of people with limited power of prison inmates. A norm based motive is evident in that two men were advancing social equity and serving the public interest while being loyal to their responsibilities by upholding the standards of behavior for corrections officers (Holdings, 1996). Whistle blowers in the public sector mostly face the exclusive problem that their disclosure may constitute a crime. This can generate an ethical dilemma when the ongoing misconduct is severe and there is no reasonable prospect that the abuse will end absent blowing the whistle (Nadler & Schulman). This would try to get the person that is responsible for the problem or crime. If there is a situation a person supposed to follow the chain of command and tell what is going
Valencia W. Wright
Ethics and Social Justice
HUMN – 6406F
Dr. K. Farris
Walden University
December 21, 2014
The description of this case which was taken place on April 1994, when an inmate named Preston Tate was shot and wounded by a corrections officer. This incident took place at California’s Corcoran State prison when Preston Tate and his cellmate were fighting against two rivalries who were Hispanic gang members. Following Preston Tate’s death at the hands of a prison guard and that’s when whistle blowers approached the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) with stories of abuse against the inmates (Dryburgh, 2009). Also, the Corcoran case provides understanding into of how power can be taken …show more content…
They are rules climate and the law and code climates. Employees in a rules climate demonstrate strict obedience to the policies of the organization and use these policies to make ethical decisions and resolve problems (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). Employees that are in law and code climate look to the government rules or professional conventions to resolve dilemmas ethically. Public agencies generally have strong rules and law and code climates because their activities are often constrained by outside sources, such as unions, federal law, executive orders, and professional association (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). Rothwell and Baldwin (2006) have attempted to determine whether codes of silence are more common in civilian or law enforcement objects exploring the type employee, whether the civilian or law enforcement agent, more likely to participate in a code of silence. Law enforcement agents, including guards at correction facilities are less likely than civilians to adhere to codes of silence. This is occurring because of the way law enforcement personnel are hired and trained (Rothwell & Baldwin, 2006). The guards could of blowed the whistle first, secondly shoot in the air, thirdly shoot to the wound and fourth shoot to kill. The guards did not blow the whistle because they follow whatever rule that they are trained with. A lot of the officers (guards) are under the code of silence and will never …show more content…
Riggs and Caruso acted in the public interest even through, as active correction officers at Corcoran, they were putting themselves in a position to be retaliated against, a decision that clearly ran against their self – interest. Their behavior had a rational motive because they were advocating to protect the civil rights of people with limited power of prison inmates. A norm based motive is evident in that two men were advancing social equity and serving the public interest while being loyal to their responsibilities by upholding the standards of behavior for corrections officers (Holdings, 1996). Whistle blowers in the public sector mostly face the exclusive problem that their disclosure may constitute a crime. This can generate an ethical dilemma when the ongoing misconduct is severe and there is no reasonable prospect that the abuse will end absent blowing the whistle (Nadler & Schulman). This would try to get the person that is responsible for the problem or crime. If there is a situation a person supposed to follow the chain of command and tell what is going