Explain the need for discipline in at least two public services. Analyse the role of public service. Evaluate the application of the role of discipline in the public services."

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Miriam Smith-Renieblas                Discipline in the Public Services

Task 1:

Explain the need for discipline in at least two public services. Analyse the role of public service. Evaluate the application of the role of discipline in the public services.”

Discipline:

In Debra Gray’s book: BTEC National Public Service (uniformed) Book 1: discipline is described as obedience to authority.

Discipline is necessary in all of the Public Services as it moulds people’s behaviour. It can do this in many ways such as causing fear of punishment, offering material rewards, or by offering opportunities if promotion.

The main internet source of definitions I found was www.wikipedia.co.uk here I found definitions such as:

  • A system of rules of conduct or method of practice; "he quickly learned the discipline of prison routine"; "for such a plan to work requires discipline";
  • the trait of being well behaved; "he insisted on discipline among the troops"
  • the act of punishing; "the offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received"

The dictionary definition of discipline is: control or order exercised over people or animals; system of rules for this; training or a way of life aimed at self control or conformity; branch of learning; punishment.

Discipline can be used as any of the following:

Deterrent: to stop people from doing something you don’t want them to. For example to stop people from being late, if they know that disciplinary action will be taken they will be more unlikely to be late.

Threat: by telling somebody what they are going to do to them if they don’t do as they say. For example if one of your members of staff talks too much and doesn’t get their tasks completed time effectively. You could say “if you don’t improve dramatically I will sack you!.

Control: discipline can also be used to manipulate and control how your staff members behave. For example telling a member of staff that if they do just as you say they will get far in the ranks.

To train: discipline is vital to get new recruits through their training, to get them to push themselves further even when they may think that they can do it and may as well give up. If an authority figure continues to have faith in them and makes them go that extra mile, they are much likely to achieve.

My personal perception of discipline:

I would personally define discipline as the way in which people are trained to obey the orders of people in authority.

This is mainly done because its part of their job or because they want to move up the ranks quicker and sowing good self discipline and good behaviour may well speed this up.

Current affairs:

Abu Ghraib Torture and Prisoner Abuse:

On 2003 a number of serious incidents of abuse and torture of prisoners that where being held in the Iraqi prison of Abu Ghraib which was now known as the Baghdad correctional facility.

This was run by personnel o f the 372nd military police company, CIA officers and contractors which had been involved within the occupation of Iraq.

In January 2004 an internal criminal investigation by the United States Army began.

Leading on from this investigation on April of the following year reports of the abuse, as well as graphic pictures showing American military personnel in the act of abusing prisoners.

This resulted in an incredible political scandal.

The U.S. Administration and its defenders argued that the abuses were the result of independent actions by low-ranking personnel, while critics claimed that authorities either ordered or implicitly condoned the abuses and demanded the resignation of senior Bush administration officials.

Mr Antonio Taguba carried out an investigation on the events in Abu Ghraib and wrote a report on these this was known as the Taguba report and it revealed horrendous events such as the following:

  • Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet.
  • Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees.
  • Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing.
  • Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time.
  • Forcing naked male detainees to wear women's underwear.
  • Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate while being photographed and videotaped.
  • Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them.
  • Positioning a naked detainee on a MRE Box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture.
  • Writing "I am a Rapist" on the leg of a detainee alleged to have raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked.
  • Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee's neck and having a female soldier pose for a picture.
  • A male MP guard raping a female detainee.
  • Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees and MPs posing with cheerful looks.
  • Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees.
  • Threatening detainees with a loaded 9mm pistol.
  • Pouring cold water on naked detainees.
  • Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair.
  • Threatening male detainees with rape.
  • Allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound of a detainee who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell.
  • Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick.
  • Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting and severely injuring a detainee.

His report points out terrible acts carried out by these soldiers that showed that the people in higher ranks where not behaving adequately and allowing such acts to take place or that their where not aware of such events which makes matters even worse as it shows a complete lack of discipline and structure the people in higher ranks are responsible for lower ranking soldiers and they are to make sure they behave appropriately something which was certainly not  done here.

Mr. Antonio Taguba stated that US soldiers had carried out “egregious acts and grave breaches of international law”

There had been a large number of events where prisoners where treated in a sadistic, wanton manner. Taguba alleged that the intelligent forces had asked military police to “loosen up” prisoners before questioning. This suggests that they could of quite easily be using torture as a means of getting confessions out of the prisoners when they where being questioned. But can any statements made by the prisoners be taken into account when there have been subject to torture?

This is in serious breach of the Human rights act.

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In Article 3 of the Human Rights Act (which was signed and agreed to by the US) it states prohibition of torture and explains this as the following: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

The events that took place in Abu Ghraib also breach the Geneva Convention which states very clear what is acceptable and what isn’t as to how you treat prisoners of war. In Article 3 of the Geneva it states the following:

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in ...

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