Professional ethics refers to a broad outline of guidelines that define ones behavior and conducts in a certain profession. They are the set of norms and behaviors supposed to be displayed by a person in a specific field. Personal ethics refers to a set of individual’s attitudes and conduct that guide one in the course of choice making. They re more personal and may tend to differ from one individual to another, they re expected to be portrayed in every individual in the society; they define ones morality.
How does an individual’s personal ethics differ from the professional one? What are the similarities between the two? These and more are some of the questions that this paper is seeking to answer, specifically focusing on the professional ethics defining a career in criminal justice.Personal EthicsEvery individual in one way or another has some set of personal rules that he/she ascribes to; these are the guidelines that tend to define his attitudes, behavior, norms and practices towards different aspects of life and the society in general. They inherently define his/her morality or what he/she considers acceptable and non-acceptable behavior and way of thinking. (Larry Colero, n.
d). A range of my personal ethics would include the following:- Fairness and equitability: This is a personal believe that reasonable justice should be dispensed to all on equal terms regardless of status, gender, color or creed. People are to face consequences equaling their actions with no room for favoritism. I will treat all individuals equally without favoring any parties or individuals. (www.
interfaithalliance-nc.org)- Honesty and trustworthiness to be practiced at all times. This is where I am to desist and resist any temptation to pass false information. I am supposed to be frank at all times regardless of the prevailing situation.
Honesty would also encompass shunning temptation to take what does not belong to me; stealing being trustworthy would revolve around the aspect of being reliable and sticking to my word.- Comply with the stipulated state laws. This is where I am to willfully submit to the laid down laws by the authority in the belief that they are for the greater good and are meant to instill order and discipline in the citizenry.- Respect for the freedom and dignity of all individuals.
Should have an unwavering belief that all persons are worthy of respect and should be left alone to enjoy their own autonomies and freedom with no external interference. It is a basic belief of the inherent self worth of all individuals, irrespective of the existing differences in us.- Being emphatic and caring. I believe in showing reasonableness and consideration to other people’s feelings and respecting their different feelings towards something in the knowledge that our perspectives and viewpoints are bound to differ due to the inherent differences that exist in all of us.- Showing remorsefulness and have a forgiving heart. The belief in the need to exercise restraint and avoid any act of retribution or holding unnecessary grudges against any one.
I should be able to let go any wrongdoings or mistakes done against me. I should too accept mistakes, regretting with deep sorrow of any wrong doings I commit towards others as well accepting the due consequences arising from those mistakes. I should also put effort to ensure such wrongful deeds and occurrences are avoided at all costs.- Taking undue advantage of others. I should desist from taking advantage of any individual’s weaknesses or opportunities for my own personal benefits. Others should not suffer because I have in one way or another benefited at their expense.
My actions should always be weighed by the expected consequences and results to others.Differences Between Personal And Professional Code Of EthicsOne fundamental difference that exists between the profession and personal ethics is the need to forgive wrongdoings. A sheriff charged with the duty of maintaining law and order in the society, in the process he/she is bound to make arrests in line with the state laws. Whereas the personal ethics propagates for forgiveness and remorsefulness for any wrongdoings. It would be an abdication of the sheriff duty to forgive and let go a person who has committed a crime.
This is one major difference.A difference also arises in the nature of the origin and repercussions of non-adherence to the ethics. Criminal justice professional ethics emanates and are enforced by the state and would carry a penalty or a job loss if contravened. The personal ethics are personally and individually inspired. Although contravening some may lead to penalties from the state, they are individual based and enforced at a personal level. Their contravention would only lead to alienation from the rest of the society.
SimilaritiesBoth personal and professional ethics, advocate for fairness and equitable justice to all. A sheriff in the carrying out his/her duty ensures that all individuals are to enjoy equal protection from the law regardless of their status in life (www.co.larimer.co.
us). He or she is not supposed to show nay partiality or favoritism in the process of executing his/her duties (B).Personal ethics too stand for fair and equal treatment of all individuals, just as the sheriff we are not supposed to favor any individual over others and should mete out equal consequences in response to the situation at hand; indiscriminately.Honesty and trustworthiness are both applicable to both professional and personal ethics.
The sheriff entrusted with public funds and expected to utilize them with due care and diligence (E). Honesty then dictates how the money will be spent. At a personal level, an individual is to be honest and trustworthy to avoid cheating, stealing or passing untruthful information to others.Both believe in the freedom and dignity of others.
Personal ethics advocate for upholding dignity and respect when dealing with other people even of lesser status in life than yours. Professional ethics of a sheriff (C) binds him to in the process of duty execution to avoid mistreatments of either the staff or those in custody. To ensure that all are left alone to enjoy their freedoms as long as their acts do not over step their boundaries and are in line with the state laws. Whereas the personal ethics ensures individuals desist from taking undue advantage of others to their own benefits, sheriff’s professional ethics prevent them form letting their personal interests and opinion to interfere with the justice process.Ethical DilemmasA case is stated where a sheriff is in a dilemma occasioned by the need to carry out a duties faithfully and the ambitions to remain in office come the elections. Personal ethics can help resolve this.
An individual should always heed and comply with the state laws. When a conflict of this nature arises as a sheriff would opt to follow the stipulated guidelines even if it results to sacrificing his career and political ambitions. Where public funds are involved and bribes are laid on the table, personal ethics should guide the sheriff to act honestly and not let his/her individual and personal interests stand in the way of executing justice. Honesty and trustworthiness are key ethical codes that would guide a sheriff in reaching the best decision when a conflict and a dilemma arise. His individual interest should not surpass the need to carry out his duty effectively.My personal code of ethics tend to revolve around one great principle that defines my relationship with others.
This is the much-famed golden rule that advises all individuals to do unto others what they wish to see done unto them in return. This is the basic foundation of personal ethics that are accepted universally. Honesty, dignity, trustworthiness, compassionateness and forgiveness are virtues we wish to see exercised in the society by every individual. We would wish to see people being caring and honest to us, it is only fair if we are able to reciprocate these virtues to every person in the society.Every career has some unwritten codes, which are supposed to be adhered to if the duties are to be carried out effectively. The personal codes of ethics are similar to the criminal justice unwritten codes in a number of ways.
The sheriff is an authority in him/herself but must acknowledge there is a higher authority in office than him. An unwritten code of ethics places the need of respect and obedience to those higher in authority. At personal level, deep respect and obedience is to be shown to those of a higher age than us, especially our parents and the elderly.The sheriffs ethics do not state how a person is to be treated or anyone suspected of crime however, it is common knowledge that they should be forwarded to the court to face the wrath of the law. Our personal ethics though advocating for forgiveness, strictly ensures that we adhere to the state laws. Even though we would wish to forgive those who commit wrongs it is also prudent that we report to a higher authority and let the law take its due process.
Though the sheriff’s ethics indicate that all people are to be treated equally with no discrimination based on status in life. However the unwritten code would give some exemptions to this, as we would not expect law officers to treat each other using the same yardstick they apply for a general public. For example a sheriff might not ticket a colleague or manhandle him/her the same way he/she does to others. However, personal ethics on the contrary are strict about this and advocate for fairness and equity.Unwritten criminals and justice code of ethics do not necessarily advocate for dignity and freedom for all individuals. This is contravened when arrests and bookings are made.
This is different from personal ethics where I would respect the dignity and freedom of all individuals and ensure that my actions do not in any way curtail their freedom.My personal ethics do not match the professional ethics in the justice department, which is my personal career. My ethics range from respect to all persons, equality, honesty, compassion, forgiveness and remorsefulness. A career in the justice department ethics both written and unwritten do not encompass virtues such as remorsefulness, forgiveness and personal freedoms. The nature of the duties carried out in the department has no room for such personal emotions. However, equality and honesty are upheld.
Professional and personal ethics are key ingredients towards a proper relationship both in the work places and in an individual’s life. They both define set of rules to be carried out in professional and social interactions. Professional standards are to be applied together with the personal ethics as they re-inforce each other and provide a good framework for consultation should a conflict arise.
