The two values that I feel are most important to this scenar
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Feb 20, 2024
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2.3 Project: What would you do? Cash for Kids.
Heaven L. Whitaker
Criminal Justice, ECPI University
CJ130 Ethics in Criminal Justice
Instructor Les Lazarevic
February 04, 2024
The two values that I feel are most important to this scenario are honesty and
integrity. Honesty means telling the truth and being transparent about one's actions and motives. Integrity means acting by one's moral principles and ethical standards. Both values are essential for a fair and just judicial system and for protecting human rights and dignity. In this scenario, the judges who accepted bribes from the private prison owners violated both honesty and integrity, as they lied about their reasons for sentencing the juveniles, and they betrayed their oath to
uphold the law and serve the public interest. Their actions also undermined the trust and confidence of the people in the legal system and harmed the lives and futures of many innocent children and families. I think there should be an oversight committee to review judges' decisions, especially in cases involving juveniles and private prisons. An oversight committee
could help prevent corruption, abuse of power, and ensure that the judges follow the law and due process. An oversight committee could also check the number of inmates being sent to privately owned prisons versus state run prisons. An oversight committee could also provide feedback and guidance to the judges and help them improve their professional skills and ethical conduct. I do not think we should have for-profit prisons, as they create a perverse incentive for the incarceration of more people, regardless of their guilt or innocence or the severity of their crimes. For-profit prisons also have a financial
interest in reducing the quality and quantity of services and programs for the inmates, such as education, health care, rehabilitation, and reentry support. This could lead to worse outcomes for the inmates, such as higher rates of recidivism, mental illness, violence, and suicide. For-profit prisons also threaten public safety and welfare, as they may lobby for harsher laws and policies favoring their profits over the social good. For-profit prisons also undermine the principle of justice, as they treat human beings as commodities and sources of revenue rather than as individuals with rights and dignity. I do believe the juveniles were targeted due to their socio-economic status, as the evidence suggests that the judges were more likely to sentence poor and minority children to private prisons while letting wealthy and white children off with lighter punishments or alternatives. This shows a bias and discrimination based on class and race, as well as a disregard for the best interests and needs of the children. The judges also exploited the vulnerability and lack of resources of people experiencing poverty and minority families, who often could not afford legal representation or challenge the judges' decisions. The judges also ignored the potential negative impacts of incarceration on the children's development, education, and prospects. The judge's actions were not only unjust but also counterproductive, as they increased the chances of the children becoming more alienated, resentful, and criminalized by the system.
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References:
Kristen M. Budd, Ph. D., and N. M. (2023, August 7). Private prisons in the United States
. The Sentencing Project. https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/private-prisons-in-the-united-
states/
Vadala, N. (2022, August 18). The Pennsylvania “kids-for-cash” judicial scandal, explained
. https://www.inquirer.com
. https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/pa-kids-for-cash-scandal-
judges-mark-ciavarella-michael-conahan-20220818.html