Human beings face an ethical dilemma each day in their place of work. While most dilemmas are classified under “right versus wrong” category, there is the time that individuals face “right versus right” ethical dilemmas. According to Kidder and Bracy, (2014) , there are four types of right versus right dilemma which include Justice versus mercy, individual versus community, truth versus loyalty and short term versus long-term. These dilemmas are applicable in daily situations that humans find themselves. The applicability of “right versus right” dilemma is difficult compared to that of “right versus wrong” or “good versus evil.” The alternatives on the table are both right but have different implications for the situation. It is the responsibility of a person to evaluate the best option.
Justice versus mercy
In the process of implementing the law sometimes equity and fairness conflicts with love, compassion, and empathy Kidder and Bracy, (2014) . Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has been engaging in activities that are against the law. Investigation shows that inmates in Alabama prisons suffer from dangerous, life-threatening conditions, face systemic indifference, and discrimination. The investigators also found prisons are violating the Eighth Amendment of the U.S constitution by cruel and unusual punishment to the prisoners. The ADOC is also breaking federal law that protects people with disabilities in prison. As a psychologist, the work to contain the situation is getting complicated as recently I have had one case of attempted suicide by an inmate. The problem is the workload exceeds my capacity as the department is understaffed and I have communicated to my superiors, but they have continuously ignored my complaints. The dilemma is that ADOC is breaking the law and I am part of it. Do I reveal the truth and put the department in the spotlight or remain silent and watch the prisoners suffer more.
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The ethical code requires me to provide justice to all the people I am supposed to serve. In this situation, the prison conditions in Alabama are life-threatening, and it has a physical and psychological effect on the prisoners. The responsibility is to ensure that prisoners’ safety and security is achieved. The option, in this case, is justice for the prisoners. According to the Supreme Court (2011), for prisons to deprive inmates adequate medical care is incompatible with human dignity concept and has no place in civilized society. In our case, ADOC is violating the Eighth Amendment and should be held responsible for the poor conditions of the prisons. Every single human has the right to be treated with dignity. According to these findings seeking justice for the prisoners is the best choice to solve the dilemma at hand.
Individual versus community.
In the process of implementing conflict occurs when a person evaluates personal position versus that of others ( Kidder and Bracy, 2014) . According to the situation provided, I have a difficult decision to make between protecting my interests or protecting those of the prisoners and the Alabama Department of Correction. The dilemma is mine as a psychologist of ADOC because I have a workload that requires solving to ensure that the prisoners have better living conditions, but the department is understaffed.
The facts are that the disabled prisoners are suffering because of poor conditions in prison. I am responsible for ensuring that the prisoners. A recent investigation by Southern Poverty Law Centre and Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program showed found that the prisoners in Alabama collection centers inclusive of the disabled, physically and mentally ill individuals faced systemic indifference, discrimination, and dangerous, life-threatening conditions. The team also discovered that prisoners are being punished cruelly and unusually and that they were being denied adequate medical care. It is my responsibility to blow the whistle on such issues when I find that my patients are not acquiring enough medical attention in prison.
The problem is I am a state employee and when I blow the whistle about the situation. The fact is I love my job, and I have a responsibility which is my family where I have a duty of providing and loving them. If I blow the whistle that my supervisors have been ignoring me by saying that ADOC is understaffed, I might get sacked. If I do not blow the whistle about the conditions in our prisons, the prisoners will continue to be ill-treated.
The dilemma cannot be escaped in the situation. Despite that, I love my job the solution is to tell the investigating teams (SPLC) and ADAP the truth about the condition in the correction centers. It is my responsibility to ensure that safety and security of the inmates and thus I must inform the agencies so that the prisoners can receive the best of the conditions in prison. The community is a priority in this case because if I do not address the situation, I suffer alone with unsolved cases consequently making the prisoners suffer.
Short term versus long term.
In the line of duty, people find that the immediate needs or desires conflict with prospects ( Kidder and Bracy, 2014) . In my situation, I need to stay silent about the condition in prisons because I want to retain my job. However, if the authorities stand to know that knew the state of the prisoners were facing I but did nothing I will lose my job. If I blow the whistle about the poor conditions of the inmates in Alabama prison, I stand to lose the job because I will be snitching on my superiors and employers.
My responsibility as a psychiatrist is to ensure the safety of the prisoners at all cost. I also have a personal responsibility to maintain my job currently and in the future. The problem is both the short term desires and future prospects are in problems. My desire to keep my job requires me to stay silent about the conditions in the prisons to avoid annoying my superiors. In the long run, if the authorities get to know about the situation in the jails, I will also be blamed for negligence.
As a psychiatrist, I have a responsibility to ensure that my patients are in good health. The solution to my problem is through telling the investigating agencies about the conditions of the inmates. I will be risking my work, but I will be doing the right thing morally because I have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the prisoners in Alabama. The agencies might also help me by giving me the human resources I require in solving all the cases that I have pending. If in the process I am laid off by the ADOC I will have done my duty to ensure the safety of the prisoners.
Truth Versus loyalty
Truth or the virtues of integrity or honesty stand on the way of responsibility, commitment or promise-keeping ( Kidder and Bracy, 2014) . I have a commitment to the ADOC to ensure that I perform my responsibility. Telling the truth about the condition in Alabama collection centers will jeopardize my working relationship with my superiors as they will accuse me of not doing my job which is solving the cases of the inmates that I am provided with. Consequently, if I stay silent about the condition, I will continue to get overloaded with work and the casualties will be the prisoners who will suffer because of the unsolved cases.
Telling the truth might get me sacked from the job while keeping quiet will jeopardize inmates’ conditions. It is my responsibility to ensure the safety of the prisoners. Telling the truth will let the society know about the situation of the Alabama prisons, and I will eliminate the guilt problem. It will also force the society to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the prisoners. Telling the truth will help me create trust with the prisoners who are my clients. Telling the truth will get in the way of loyalty to the ADOC.
The sickening condition of prisons in Alabama sickens me, and thus I have a responsibility to ensure that I tell the truth. The facts are that prisoners’ health (both psychological and physical) is at risk. Inmates are not getting the best of the time in prison. The truth will set my conscience from guilt and even if it puts my job at risk ( Brousseau, 1998) . In this dilemma, I opt to tell the truth to the investigating agencies so they can help resolve the condition in prison to improve the health care of the prisoners especially the disabled and mentally ill inmates.
References
Brousseau, P. (1998). Ethical dilemmas: Right vs. right. The ethics edge , 35-46.
Kidder, R. M., & Bracy, M. (2014). Moral courage . HarperCollins e-Books.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2011). Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California, et al. v. Marciano PLATA and Ralph Coleman, et al. No. 13A57.
