Ethical Dilemma in the Prison System



Ethical Dilemma in the Prison System

Introduction

This research paper addresses some ethical dilemmas in the Prison systems. Prisoners are principally vulnerable participants of a potential research on ethic as they have been continually exploited by researchers and physicians in seeking out the solutions to complicated research dilemmas (Hornblum, 2010). They come under the category of 'captive population'. Any ethical dilemma concerning human population must need some serious considerations. Some definite ethical issues with prisoners expand by the correctional setting's complexity and the poor status of the research participants. Thus, the limitations on control and personal choice are probably the most apparent and harsh in prison systems, and the influence of discrimination among the prisoners and agents of criminal justice perseveres in a lot of contexts.

Statement of the Problem

Among several ethical issues, the most seen and most disgusting is the sexual misconduct with female prisoners by the male correctional officers. This issue has increased epidemically through the United States.

Research Objective

The main objective of conducting research is to seek out the magnitude of the problem as well as its solutions. Two different case reports will be shown about this problem which was performed by the GAO (General Accounting Officer) in the year 2009.

Research Hypothesis

In the research conducted, the biggest four prisons of the United States were investigated in the duration of total four years. During that period, 506 allegations regarding sexual misconduct on prisoners were reported by the correctional officers. Among such 506 allegations, just about 92 of those were sustained (GAO, 2009). Another report was produced by the organization of human rights i.e., (SPR) Stop Prison Rights in December 2011. That report was based on the wide spread accusations on female inmates about sexual abuse by the correctional officers and by other people. Such allegations were produced by a previously worked prison therapist (SPR, 2011).

Literature Review

In many prisons of the U.S., the misconduct regarding sex is committed on prisoners by the staff and correctional officers frequently. A report entitled by the General Accounting Office on this ethical issue, “Women in the Prison: Sexual Misconduct by Correctional Staff”, was issued to the House of Representatives in the year 2009. The case report was dealt with the dilemmas of sexual abuses by the correctional officers especially on the female prisoners of the United States. The report based on four different jurisdictions which dealt with the biggest prisons for women criminals and such were: (BOP) the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Corrections California, Department of Criminal Justice Texas, and the District of Columbia. By the end of 2008, three of the biggest jurisdiction systems jointly held over about 80,000 female offenders. In the Columbia District Department of Corrections, the overall female prisoners were there about 320 by the end of year 2008 (GAO, 2009).

Through the report of GAO, it was proved that in existence of policies and laws, such assaults could be minimized but was still occurred. As per the data gathered, the ...