Stages of Moral Development into the Justice System

Incorporating Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development into the Justice System

Imagine you are the chief of police. As the chief of police, you will need to ensure that your law enforcement officers lead ethical careers. Then, research Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and find at least two (2) relevant articles that discuss Kohlberg’s theory, Means vs. Ends, and Kantian ethics.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Identify and discuss the three (3) levels of Kohlberg’s stages of Moral Development, and explain how you would address each level within your department. I am the Arbitration coordinator in the dispute resolution department for mediation.

2. Explain how your officers can use Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development to evaluate three (3) types of criminals who are at different stages of moral development.

3. Illustrate two to three (2-3) ways in which you would address self-interest and pursuit of pleasure to prevent police corruption.

4. Identify and discuss at least three (3) Prima Facie Duties that you believe all of your law enforcement officers should fulfill.

5. Support your position statement with two (2) relevant and credible references, documented according to latest edition of APA. (Note: Do not use open source sites such as Ask.com, eHow.com, Answers.com, and Wikipedia.)

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA format (latest edition). Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page developed in accordance with the latest edition of APA, including a running head, page number, the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page, revision of the previous assignment, and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Recommend ways to use ethics to improve decision making in the criminal justice system.
• Analyze various philosophical approaches for ethical decision making, and the effectiveness and limits of each approach for making ethical choices.
• Analyze basic questions about morality, norms, and values.
• Examine the concepts and effectiveness of reward and punishment.
• Explain why and how the concept of justice is important to the field of criminal justice.
• Explain Kohlberg’s moral development stages and how they can be applied to issues in criminal justice.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in ethics and leadership in criminal justice.
• Write clearly and concisely about ethics and leadership in criminal justice using proper writing mechanics.