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Redemption
and Salvation |
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In
the United States, criminals may be accepted back into
society after they have served the sentence for their
crimes. Canon 6 and its interpretations do not provide
sufficient guidance in these circumstances. Consider the
case of an engineering supervisor who is considering whether
to hire an engineer who has been reprimanded for violating
the Code of Ethics ((http://www.onlineethics.org/.../ConvictedBER.aspx):
John Smith was a registered engineer and the head of a
state agency that administered a large public works program.
He and James Jones, his assistant, also a registered engineer,
were charged with establishing dummy agencies within the
state to receive funds from the program. Those funds were
channeled into their personal accounts. Smith and Jones
were fined and convicted of fraud and embezzlement, and
sentenced to prison terms. The state registration board
revoked their engineering licenses while they were serving
the last several months of their prison terms. Smith qualified
for a work-release program under state law, which allowed
him to work during the day and return to prison each night.
The XYZ Engineering Firm, located near the prison where
Smith is serving his term, proposes to hire Smith as a
technician. Smith will not be in responsible charge of
engineering, and will not sign or seal engineering documents.
Is the head of XYZ Engineering ethical in offering an
opportunity to John Smith?
Because John Smith will not have engineering responsibilities,
the head of XYZ Engineering can ethically offer him the
job. The head of XYZ is perhaps even laudable in offering
John a second chance to become a useful member of society.
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