Judicial and Correctional Ethics
It should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, in 12-pt. font, with standard margins. (Note: everything above the first line of your paper does not count towards the 3-page minimum.) Draw on both Foucault and Guenther in your response. (You may also draw on Sartre, as well as other authors we’ve read in this course.) See the document entitled ‘Paper Guidelines and Writing Tips’ to get a sense of how a good paper should be composed. Write on one of the following topics: 1) Choose one of the major theories of the justification of punishment we’ve looked at: utilitarianism, retributivism, or teleological retributivism. From the perspective you choose, discuss whether at least three of the following practices of punishment can be justified: torture, panoptic surveillance, and solitary confinement. Why, or why aren’t, these practices justified? 2) What are some of the unforeseen consequences of at least two of (a) panoptic surveillance and (b) solitary confinement? Keep in mind that these consequences might affect not just the prisoner, but others as well, and even society as a whole. 3) Fyodor Dostoevsky, the 19th century Russian novelist, once said: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” If this is true, what do our practices of punishment say about our civilization? Be specific in your answer to this question. NOTE: You may incorporate a discussion of Camus and capital punishment into your essay. For instance, if you choose to answer #1, you may add capital punishment to the list of practices that may or may not be justified in light of Camus’ perspective. However, discussion of Camus is not required. NOTE ALSO: References must be listed at the end of your essay. Bibliographical information for Guenther’s and Camus’ pieces are available on the respective documents on Blackboard; for Discipline and Punish the information is available on the syllabus. Failure to include references will negatively affect your grade. AND AS ALWAYS: Remember that the penalty for plagiarism is that you will receive no credit for the assignment.