PHLS324

This course provides a short introduction to general ethics, with applications to practices and problems in the criminal justice field. It uses the case study method to focus on immediate decisions which involve ethical dilemmas and typically face criminal justice professionals in the police, courts, and corrections. It also studies a selection of more general issues involving the criminal justice system which are of common public concern, as well as the deeper question of why certain forms of behavior should or should not be criminalized. In this connection, a selection of recent high-profile Supreme and Appeals Court cases in the areas of civil rights and civil liberties will be discussed. The emphasis is on developing discussion skills and familiarity with essential patterns of legal and moral reasoning. This course satisfies the University's General Education Ethics requirement. 3 lecture hours.