Topic and Questions We Can Help You To Answer
Paper Instructions:

Howes v. Fields
Competency Addressed in This Discussion
Competency 4: Analyze criminal justice issues.
Introduction
The Miranda decision is pretty cut and dried when police want to question someone about a crime when that person is not free to leave. The police may still question the person if they desire, but they run the risk of the person's statements being inadmissible in court. But what if the police want to ask questions of someone who is already behind bars—whether in jail or prison—about something unrelated to the crime for which he or she is being held? Does the fact that the person is being held by the government imply that he or she is not free to leave the room? Do the same rules apply as for someone who is not incarcerated? This was the question before the U.S. Supreme Court in Howes v. Fields.
Instructions
For this discussion:
Visit Howes v. Fields page (link given in the resources) on Oyez.
Click Oral Argument – October 04, 2011 under Media.
Listen to the first 4 minutes of oral argument with Attorney Bursch and Justice Sonia Sotomayor to set the tone for the basis of this case.
Click Opinion Announcement – February 21, 2012 under Media.
Listen to the Opinion Announcement.
Do any additional research that you feel is necessary for the case of Howes v. Fields using the Oyez Web site or the Capella Library.
In your main post:
Summarize the background of Howes v. Fields and the court decision.
Explain the effect Howes v. Fields might have on a correctional officer in the performance of his or her job.
Describe how an inmate might use the decision in Howes v. Fields to his or her advantage.
Outline how a correctional officer might use the decision in Howes v. Fields to his or her advantage.
Discussion Objectives
The competencies addressed in this discussion are supported by discussion objectives:
Competency 4: Analyze criminal justice issues. 
Summarize the background of Howes v. Fields and the court decision.
Explain the effect Howes v. Fields might have on a correctional officer in the performance of his or her job.
Describe how an inmate might use the decision in Howes v. Fields to his or her advantage.
Outline how a correctional officer might use the decision in Howes v. Fields to his or her advantage.



https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/10-680
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