Ethical Treatment of Prisoners
The Ethical Treatment of Prisoners
Kristal Kulik
SOC 120
Sheila Farr
February 4, 2013
According to our textbook, “Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility’ ethics refers to the study of the moral value of human behavior and the rules and principles that are meant to govern the behavior” (Mosser, 2010). A theory that falls under this is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members (Mosser, 2010). With that in mind, it is safe to say that the treatment of prisoners would fall into this. How prisoners are treated should be viewed in every instance. Do prisoners deserve to be treated fairly with the prison system while they are incarcerated? Each century brought on different standards for how prisoners were and are treated, from the middle ages of beatings to the recent times with prisons and programs to help them. In older societies, the Middle Ages, criminals and prisoners punishments were based on the crime committed and the severity of it. For something that we now consider small, such as theft, back then it was punishable by having your right hand cut off. Other crimes, such as vagrancy, was punishable by being placed in the stocks in the towns square normally and being beaten by the towns people. Women charged with adultery were often drowned. Men who raped, committed manslaughter, and/or committed robbery were often hung in cages and left for the public to see their slow death. Some times, they were even removed just before death, to be quartered, so the pain would kill them (Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages). These were common practices then and were known by the people. However, the people who committed these crimes knew the risk before doing so. That was not considered back then to be unfair treatment to prisoners. Some were wrongfully accused, but there was not an option to prove with evidence. They often went on peoples word and witness
Kristal Kulik
SOC 120
Sheila Farr
February 4, 2013
According to our textbook, “Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility’ ethics refers to the study of the moral value of human behavior and the rules and principles that are meant to govern the behavior” (Mosser, 2010). A theory that falls under this is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members (Mosser, 2010). With that in mind, it is safe to say that the treatment of prisoners would fall into this. How prisoners are treated should be viewed in every instance. Do prisoners deserve to be treated fairly with the prison system while they are incarcerated? Each century brought on different standards for how prisoners were and are treated, from the middle ages of beatings to the recent times with prisons and programs to help them. In older societies, the Middle Ages, criminals and prisoners punishments were based on the crime committed and the severity of it. For something that we now consider small, such as theft, back then it was punishable by having your right hand cut off. Other crimes, such as vagrancy, was punishable by being placed in the stocks in the towns square normally and being beaten by the towns people. Women charged with adultery were often drowned. Men who raped, committed manslaughter, and/or committed robbery were often hung in cages and left for the public to see their slow death. Some times, they were even removed just before death, to be quartered, so the pain would kill them (Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages). These were common practices then and were known by the people. However, the people who committed these crimes knew the risk before doing so. That was not considered back then to be unfair treatment to prisoners. Some were wrongfully accused, but there was not an option to prove with evidence. They often went on peoples word and witness
References: www.thefinertimes/Ancient-History/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages.html Mosser, K. (2010) Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility, San Diego. Bridgepoint Education Inc. Punishment – Theories of Punishment- Utilitarianism, Society, Theory, and Criminal – Jrank Articles http://law.jrank.org/pages/9576/Punishment- THEORIES- Punishment.html Shaw, W. (1999) Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism. Wiley- Blackwell http://www.americanbar.org/publications/criminal_justice_section_archive/crimjust_standards_treatmentprisoners.html#23-1.1