Week 4 Project - Case Studies, Ethical Systems

Instructions

Week 4 Project: Case Studies

Supporting Lectures:

• Ethical Systems
• Correctional Philosophy
• Ethical Dilemmas in Corrections

For this assignment, read the cases of Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs (2012). These cases deal with the topic of juveniles tried and sentenced as adults.

1. Analyze whether either of these cases addresses the utilitarian view of ethical treatment of convicted murderers.
2. Differentiate between the peacemaking philosophy and deontological philosophy in the context of murder sentencing for juveniles. Do these philosophies differ when the defendant is an adult?
3. Considering these two cases, determine whether either should have been handled differently under the utilitarian or the deontological philosophies.
4. In general terms, consider a judge who must determine whether a 16-year-old who committed a violent crime should be tried as an adult. Identify the ethical dilemma(s) the judge faces and describe how he or she might arrive at an ethical decision.