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The Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics is sponsoring a 2-day Intensive Workshop on Discretion in a Closed Community: to be held at John Jay College of Criminal Justice on May 28-29, 1999. The purpose of the Workshop will be to explore the ethical dimensions of the discretionary decisions that confront those who work in prisons -- particularly decisions by prison administrators, civilian, professional, and custodial staff. It is not our intention to focus directly on decision making outside prisons -- by legislatures, courts, and correctional bureaucracies -- although we recognize that discretionary decisions within a prison will be influenced and limited by such decisions and also by other factors within the larger social arena. The standpoint will be that of professional ethics, as prison personnel seek to exercise their responsibilities in a professional manner. A further constraint, as we see it, is that the conference will focus particularly -- even if not exclusively -- on the problems as they are evidenced within a closed community. Some ethical problems will be general to administrators and other providers of a public service, but our concern will be more particularly with these and other problems as they are generated within or shaped by a closed community. The Institute has invited a distinguished and experienced group of scholars, administrators, and practitioners to bring their expertise to bear on the ethical challenges presented by prison and jail environments. Main presenters will include Richard Koehler (former Commissioner of Corrections, NYC, and now Professor of Law, John Jay College of Criminal Justice), Derek Brookes (Lecturer in Philosophy, Charles Sturt University, NSW, and former Visiting Scholar, ICJE), Audrey Bomse (Director, Prisoners Self-Help Legal Clinic), Kenneth Kipnis (Professor of Philosophy, University of Hawaii-Manoa), Joseph Williams (Administrator, Lincoln Correctional Facility, and Adjunct Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice), and Kevin Wright (Human Development, State University of New York, Binghamton). Speakers have been invited to address the following general topics: Conference papers will be precirculated, and each major presentation will be followed by formal responses and discussion. There will be opportunities for informal discussion and sharing of experiences and issues. It is anticipated that the papers and responses will be revised for publication. In order to maximize the value of the Workshop, attendance will be limited to 50 participants. Inquiries regarding the Workshop can be directed to: |
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