Abstract

Psychologists working in prisons and secure settings frequently feel their codes of ethics do not assist them, especially when they face novel and challenging ethical problems for a more comprehensive discussion). The reason for this might be that the standards of codes reflect the minimum level of professional conduct the profession will tolerate and therefore mirror the well-crystallised expectations of the majority of psychologists, that is, mainly those who do research or provide assessment, counselling and therapeutic services to individuals presenting with mental health issues in health or private practice settings. Codes, therefore, seldom provide specific guidance to psychologists who provide services to people or groups outside these parameters, leaving it to psychologists who provide these services to develop specific practice guidelines that flow from general ethical codes.