Ethics Focus: "It's a Matter of Paperwork

Essay

Ethics Focus: "It's a Matter of Paperwork"
An inmate named Billy was sexually assaulted over a month ago. He is having difficulty filling out the grievance paperwork claiming that the guard on duty that night ignored his calls for help. The prisoner only has a tenth-grade education. He has asked you for some help in filling out the forms. Your supervisor has told you in the past not to help inmates with their paperwork. According to the Department of Corrections rules, if inmates do not meet the filing deadlines, then the matter will be dropped. The courts are very technical about such deadlines and will not hear any appeals after a deadline has been missed.
Your feel sorry for the inmate. He is not that strong and has a difficult time defending himself. You know the guard in question, and he does not always do everything he should. The guard claims that he did what he could and followed institutional guidelines. You were not present that night, though, so you do not know exactly what happened.
-Should you help the inmate with the grievance paperwork? Why or why not?