Exam 12: Discretion and Dilemmas in Corrections

The ___________________________  mandated that every state keep a record of prison rapes and allocated money to study the problem and develop solutions .

Beatings of inmates who attack correctional officers could be justified under a(n)____________________  ethical system, if they serve the greater good by providing a warning to other inmates that they will receive similar treatment if they attack an officer.

You are a psychiatrist on call with a state prison.  You have been called in to examine an inmate who has been behaving erratically.  Prison officials are concerned that he poses a danger to himself and others.  They have confined him in a bare solitary cell to be sure he can't hurt himself, and have asked you to evaluate him. Immediately, you recognize an ethical dilemma.  Your duty as a psychiatrist requires you to act in the best interests of your patient, but at the same time, you recognize that the prison setting brings with it certain duties that favor institutional security over patient rights. Your session with the inmate has left you convinced that the inmate has the intention of attacking his  cellmate. You are faced with a dilemma. As a professional, you are committed to patient confidentiality, and the inmate has not given you permission to share anything that he told you. At the same time, you recognize that the cellmate's safety is at risk. Your dilemma is resolved by the ____________  rule, which states that you would be liable if you fail to act and the cellmate is harmed.

Which of the following statements is false?

You are a rookie correctional officer at a state prison. The day is coming to an end and the inmates are in their cells. As you make your rounds to count heads, one of the inmates asks you if you'd bring him a piece of dental floss. He says he has an uncooked grain of rice from dinner stuck in his back teeth and it is very painful. He only needs a small piece, surely not enough to pose any problem. According to prison rules, dental floss may only be used in the shower area, under observation. It is apparent to you that the inmate is in discomfort, and you know this inmate to be well-behaved. You are inclined to provide the dental floss. After all, this inmate has never given you trouble, and in fact you think that he might be helpful in the future when it comes to relations with troublesome inmates. Such a relationship would illustrate the concept of:

Probation and parole officers do not have to deal with the issue of gratuities.

According to Souryal's typology, which type of probation and parole officers may violate professional ethics by  not performing duties associated with the role?

"Lessons" taught to inmates by Texas corrections officers that involved verbal humiliation, profanity, shoves, kicks, and head and body slaps were known as:

The Prison Litigation Reform Act made it easier for inmates to file lawsuits by removing the time limits that previously were used to reject lawsuits.

Correctional officers have the full range of _______________  control over inmates, including loss of liberty through physical force if necessary.

Discuss the unique aspects of the jail environment that present ethical challenges for officers. Consider the nature of the population, the purpose of the facility, and the traits of the officers.

Discuss ethical issues faced by probation and parole officers.

Which of the following about probation is false?

Describe some examples of role conflict and ethical dilemmas faced by treatment staff such as prison psychologists .

Discuss the benefits and drawbacks that have resulted from having male correctional officers guarding female inmates and female correctional officers guarding male inmates. Use data to support your points.

You are a rookie correctional officer at a state prison. The day is coming to an end and the inmates are in their cells. As you make your rounds to count heads, one of the inmates asks you if you'd bring him a piece of dental floss. He says he has an uncooked grain of rice from dinner stuck in his back teeth and it is very painful. He only needs a small piece, surely not enough to pose any problem. According to prison rules, dental floss may only be used in the shower area, under observation. It is apparent to you that the inmate is in discomfort, and you know this inmate to be well-behaved. To decide how you will act, you consider the ethical systems that might apply to the situation. If you decide to provide the dental floss because you believe it will alleviate the inmate's suffering, even though it means breaking the rules, which ethical system would this illustrate?

According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)study cited in the text, which type of offender is most likely to be re-arrested for a new crime after release from prison?

In the 2011 case of Brown v. Plata , the Supreme Court ordered California to release prisoners if:

In ________________,  the U.S. Supreme Court dealt with a case involving an inmate who had been forced to sit in a chair while two officers hit him in the head and chest area, with a lieutenant looking on.

According to Haag, one of the ethical issues of treatment professionals in prisons is the issue of "informed consent."