Effective Communication In Criminal Justice Settings

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Effective Communication in Criminal Justice Settings 304 July 16, 2012 CJA Effective Communication in Criminal Justice Settings The criminal justice setting is one which operates at best on the basis of effective communication. With major players (judge, attorneys, police officers, witnesses) having a stake in the decision process, there is little or no chance for any grammatical errors, or mistakes and of such, makes this entity separate from all others. Interpersonal communication involves understanding the dynamics of sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages. Whether officers realize it or not, their ability to relate to others directly affects every action they perform on duty. This includes not only what…show more content…
Within verbal communication, the officer is trying to direct, blame, persuade and solve the problems whereas in nonverbal the officer relies of the written word and body language. As police officers interact with the press to make public announcements, both verbal and nonverbal communication comes into play. The body language, the direction in which an investigation is going, how much information should be given, and being able to listen and answer the questions fielded. In the event the officer fails to execute verbally and nonverbally the message to the press in a proper manner, the world will know because reports will not see it as a mere blunder but will make a great deal out of it. Officers who are given permission to communicate with the press understands the scope of the press desire for information and a cover story so having the right tone, body language, and written material can make communication with the press very enlightening. The preferred practice for this area when dealing with communication is verbally and that is because the officer can make stronger case of appealing using the right…show more content…
As to the areas identified for this paper, it is not a mere act of speaking or body language but rather the targeted results every member of this systems hopes to achieve. For the police officers, knowing how and when to interchange these skills is vital to every investigation and they must keep in mind that one size does not fit all when it come communication. The more effective an officer can be in utilizing this skill, the better his or her chances becomes in solving the problem, testifying in court, speaking to their peers, or inmates in a correctional facility. Effective communication helps police officers to identify additional, alternative courses of action when responding to calls for service. Being good listeners and understanding the importance of spatial relations and other nonverbal communication allow officers to defuse potentially violent situations and resolve them in a peaceful

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