CRJS 1001 Walden University Ethical Obligations and Mental Illness Discussion
Learning Resources
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Readings
Saral, T. B. (2014). Mental illness and crime. Salem Press Encyclopedia
Walsh, A., & Jorgensen, C. (2018). Criminology: The essentials (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Chapter 9, “Psychosocial Theories: Individual Traits and Criminal Behavior” (pp. 176–178)
Note: Read the “Mental Illness” section.
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Criminology: The Essentials, 3rd Edition by Walsh, A.; Jorgensen, C. Copyright 2018 by Sage College. Reprinted by permission of Sage College via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Chang, A. (Host). (2018, February 28). A look at the narrow point of intersection between mental health and gun violence [Radio broadcast episode transcript]. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/02/28/589600339/a-look-at…
Peak, K. J., & Madensen, T. D. (2018). Introduction to criminal justice: Practice and process (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- “The ‘New Asylums’: The Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System” (pp. 422–426)
Introduction to Criminal Justice: Practice and Process, 3rd Edition by Peak and Madensen. Copyright 2018 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Note: Only read pages 455–460 of this selection.
Rennison, C. M., & Dodge, M. (2018). Introduction to criminal justice: Systems, diversity, and change (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Chapter 3, “Criminal Justice and the Law” (p. 90)
Note: Focus on the features of the insanity plea on this page.Introduction to Criminal Justice: Systems, Diversity, and Change, 2nd Edition by Rennison, C. M.; Dodge, M. Copyright 2018 by Sage College. Reprinted by permission of Sage College via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Bronson, J., & Berzofsky, M. (2017). Indicators of mental health problems reported by prisoners and jail inmates, 2011–12 (NCJ Publication No. 250612). Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/imhprpji1112.p…
Discussion: Ethical Obligations and Mental Illness
The criminal justice field is flooded with ethical dilemmas, such as those surrounding the death penalty, law enforcement’s use of force, and mental illness. Offenders with current or past indicators of mental illness make up a high percentage of those incarcerated in the United States. However, according to Bronson and Berzofsky (2017), only about a third of these individuals are being treated for their mental health concerns while in prison.
As a professional in the criminal justice field, you may experience times when your personal ethics don’t align with the system’s practices—and times when they do. In this Discussion, you determine where you stand on the issue of mental health treatment for offenders.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 4
Post:
- Explain your position on the following statement, either in agreement or in opposition:
- The criminal justice system has an ethical obligation to rehabilitate or treat offenders suffering from mental illness.