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That is exactly what Lakisha Cameron, one of the two ethics teachers at the Harnett County prison, wants these inmates to learn. "I would hope they would think before acting," she said.

On Tuesday, when Cameron and another teacher led the 45-minute class, the inmates broke into small groups to write their code of ethics; then, the entire class came up with one by consensus. As a follow-up Thursday, the inmates had to provide examples of how someone could follow their ethical code by being fair, honest, trustworthy and so on.

On their honor

A few inmates seemed to struggle with understanding and defining the terms of the class discussion. Asked why he was taking the class, Keith Muse, a 22-year-old armed robber, said: "Having a high degree of ethical intensity can be a very instrumental accoutrement to have while incarcerated."

Phipps, the murderer, had to explain to another inmate what it meant to be fair. "If I had a car lot and I had a fleet of Lexuses and I sold one to you for $52,000, say, if Ronald comes along and I sold it to him for $34,000, I wasn't fair to you," Phipps explained.

Brooks asked, "If I sell you on an idea and know that that idea isn't true, is that fair?"

"That's more dishonest," Phipps responded.

At least one inmate was honest about the fact that he came to class out of self-interest rather than any desire to better himself.

"I took this class because they said it would help me be released from prison," said James F. Knight, 36, a convicted sex offender. "Most of this stuff, our parents already taught us. It brings back a lot of things that you've been taught a long time ago, and now I realize how important they are."

Dick Adams, a founding member of the N.C. Victim Assistance Network, a crime victims' advocacy group, doesn't see any problem with inmates being taught ethics -- as long as it doesn't help them get out of prison earlier.

"What they learn, the degrees they get or whatever while they are clients of the state in a confined situation should have absolutely nothing to do with the price that has been put upon them to pay for their dastardly deeds," Adams said. "They ought to pay that price -- every day of it."

Keith Acree, a spokesman for the state prison system, said inmates' participation in the ethics class does not reduce the time they spend in prison. The N.C. Parole Commission, however, considers an inmate's participation in such programs when making decisions on parole.

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