A young man was sentenced to serve 10 years for selling a small amount of marijuana when he was 15 years old. He escaped from prison six months after his sentencing and moved to a different state. The authorities located him when he went to vote, 30 years later. He is a professional carpenter and a model citizen.

Should he be sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his 9.5-year sentence? Why or why not? Is your answer to this question based in the preconventional, conventional or postconventional level of moral reasoning?

Should the level of moral reasoning be based on the stage of development that the man was in when he escaped from prison, or when he was located by authorities? Explain.

Review Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Reasoning