Imagine the following scenarios: Sam and his friends are out partying on a Friday night. They drive by a street named “Samuel Lane”

Imagine the following scenarios:

• Sam and his friends are out partying on a Friday night. They drive by a street named “Samuel Lane” and, all in good fun, Sam’s friends steal the street sign for Sam, which he then proudly displays on the wall in his living room.
• Linda lives with her 21-year-old son, who is on disability. He cannot work, and to make extra money, he sells his unused prescription pain medication. Linda is aware of this.
• Jasmine and Cletus work in the same office and – though both are married to other people – are having an affair. At least three times a week, they clock out from work and spend their lunch hour at a local motel where they can be alone together for about an hour and a half.

All the above scenarios involve ethical and moral choices. You may agree with or disagree with the choices made by the actors in the scenarios. However, if Sam, Linda, Linda’s son, Jasmine, and Cletus were friends or acquaintances, you probably would not take any action against them as a result of their engagement in the above activities.

Now let’s change things a bit. Imagine the modified scenarios below:

• Sam – a corrections officer — and his friends are out partying on a Friday night. They drive by a street named “Samuel Lane” and, all in good fun, Sam’s friends steal the street sign for Sam, which he then proudly displays on the wall in his living room.
• Linda is a probation officer. She lives with her 21-year-old son, who is on disability. He cannot work, and to make extra money, he sells his unused prescription pain medication. Linda is aware of this.
• Jasmine and Cletus are police officers who work in the same precinct and – though both are married to other people — are having an affair. At least three times a week, they clock out from work and spend their lunch hour at a local motel where they can be alone together for about an hour and a half.

Ponder this: Do you feel differently about the moral choices made by Sam, Linda, Jasmine, and Cletus now that you know they are criminal justice professionals?

In your original post, answer the following:

• Explain your initial impression regarding the above scenarios, and then discuss whether that impression changed once you realized that the actors were criminal justice professionals.
• Criminal justice professionals seem to be held to a higher moral standard than ordinary citizens. Do you