Criminal Justice Ethics – ETHC 350

Course Description

This course is designed to build upon the biblical foundations students should have developed from other courses (such as BIBL 105/110 and THEO 200/201) and enhance foundational ethical considerations into more developed and practical notions of right behavior within the realm of criminal justice praxis.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

As a society, we often ask, why did a law enforcement officer brutalize a suspect? How could a police officer be corrupt? Why would other police officers turn their backs on police corruption? Such questions lead law enforcement professionals to ponder their moral duties and obligations. Some of the most difficult decisions law enforcement professionals will make during their careers will involve ethical issues. As Christians, how do we handle moral dilemmas in the law enforcement profession? How are we influenced by the subcultures in this profession? This course will allow us to challenge the many moral dilemmas we will face as law enforcement and correctional professionals. We will thoroughly examine the pressures placed on law enforcement and correctional professionals every day. We will explore the challenges we face in this profession and how we may react to these challenges as Christians.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forums (8)

There will be 8 Discussion Board Forums throughout this course. Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided topic for each forum. Each thread must be 400–500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. The thread must include at least 2 citations. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 200–300 words.

Research Paper

Part 1 – Cases Summary

The student must read the provided court cases. He or she will then write a 2–3-page Cases Summary.

Part 2 – Final Paper

The student will write a 5–7-page research-oriented paper in current APA format. The paper must include at least 5–7 references, in addition to the course textbook and the Bible.