You have a corrections officer who has worked in the county jail for 7 years. He has been described as a dedicated, competent employee, one who is well respected by colleagues and administrators alike. However, personal problems have arisen in his life. His wife is filing for divorce, and his daughter, contrary to his wishes, is involved with a man who has been arrested on several occasions for domestic violence. On this particular day, he reports for work tired and irritable after dealing with problems at home. One 18-year-old inmate quickly begins to get on his nerves. He never stops complaining, with most of his complaints directed at the officer. Finally, after telling the inmate to “shut up or else” several times, the officer lost control and slapped him hard across the face, leaving a mark and a small cut.

The confrontation was witnessed by other inmates. This is the first time that this has happened to the officer. His supervisor sends another officer to cover his post, and he reports to the superintendent’s office. He recounts the incident, concluding with “I did it; I hit him hard and deserve to be fired. Or would you let me resign? I am very sorry it happened this way.” During the initial investigation, the superintendent feels confident that the officer has violated several tenets outlined in the code of ethics for public safety personnel, and he forwards his disciplinary recommendation for your review.

Assignment Guidelines

Research the correctional officer codes of ethics to confirm any potential violations, as outlined by the superintendent. Then, address the following in 750-1,000 words:

After completing your review of the case file, explain what you would do under these circumstances.

For this task, you should first explain the role of corrections agencies and then research different codes of ethics related to corrections officers, and base your responses on a particular code of ethics. You can choose from codes of ethics promulgated by different professional associations such as the American Correctional Association, or you can use the code of ethics promulgated by a particular state’s department of corrections.

• What codes of ethics can you identify and how might they apply to this scenario? Explain.
  • Would you fire the corrections officer? Why or why not?
  • Would you allow him to resign instead of terminating him? Why or why not?
  • Is there another course of action that you would consider taking? If so, explain.
• Rationalize the decision you make.
  • How much weight, if any, should legitimately be given to his personal problems? Explain.
  • To what extent, if any, would your decision be guided by the institution’s subculture? Explain.
• Compile your responses to the above questions into a single Word document that you will submit to your instructor.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.