Ethics Focus: "An Eye for an Eye

Essay

Ethics Focus: "An Eye for an Eye?"
You are in charge of the Governor's "community empowerment" task force, which has involved community representatives from each county in your state. The task force is charged with making recommendations to the Governor regarding how the state could improve the justice process within the community. The representatives seem to fall into one of two groups: those who advocate a more retributive approach and those who support a more restorative approach. The retributive group wants offenders to be punished within the community. They offered suggestions such as publishing their names in the paper, performing community service while wearing old-fashioned prison uniforms, and a one-strike program by which they would be sent to the state prison after one violation. The restorative group is more concerned with reconciling victims and offenders whenever possible, which would include financial restitution and counseling in many cases. Your role is to bring the two factions together and come up with a useful recommendation to the Governor's office.
-What will you recommend?