Communication in Criminal Justice Settings

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The types of communication are the words we speak, voice intonation and body language. About 60% is non verbal, 30% is the way we say words and voice intonation. Only 10% of our communication is in content of the words we speak.

If you had to look at how you speak, what would be some things you do? I know for me, I tend to talk with my hands a lot and depending on who I am speaking to it may be quieter or louder.

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I tend to be an animated speaker. In the criminal justice field it is important to be able to pick up on someones body movement and how they act under normal circumstances so you know how to detect when they are lying.

There is 4 types of lying- Omission, Minimizing/Exaggerating the Truth, Denial and Fabrication. The one we as criminal justice employees may see the most of is Omission. This is when a person is basically telling the truth but purposely leaves out key parts of the story.

An example when someone omits the truth- A suspect was in the area but didnt see anything unsual. The truth is the suspect was in the area and was covering for his friend who broke into someones car. Minimizing and Exaggerating the truth is self explanatory.

The purpose of thosee techniques would be to divert the truthful scenario. Denial is when a suspect may say ' I know nothing.' ' I have never seen that person.' ' I wasn't there.' This approach is used a lo to cover for friends, family or even themselves.

This is when you as a cop,invesigator or other personnel need to make sure you are able to decipher the truth through their non verbal cues. Then there is Fabrication which is when a person makes up a story.

Paying close attention to someones body language may be crucial during an interrogation for more answers. Someone who is lying will likely be fidgety, make less eye contact and look pale. A persons autonomic nervous system may be triggered when feeling 'under pressure.'

Learning and mastering active listening skills will be beneficial to you in the field you choose to work.We utilize a form of non verbal communication by being an active listener in a conversation. Doing so allows you to be able read a persons body language and also detecting signs of deception through their physical gestures and also pick up on verbal clues. For instance working the streets- showing the public or person pulled over you care will encourage them to tell you more and that the full focus is on them.

An officer can use verbal communication (questioning) and non-verbal communication (reading body language and speech patterns) to ensure a safe and proper outcome of the situation. Being a probation officer this will make the clients feel heard and a less transactial type experience. They will be more cooperative and hopefully less likely to re-affend. You will need to learn to mirror someones behavior such as crossing arms or legs. If you are wanting the person to be relaxed or calm down try talking with a calmer voice. When it comes to reflecting this is used a lot in a court room setting. When a suspect is on the witness stand they may say ' my daughters mom is mean.

The cross examiner might reply back with I understand your saying your daughters mother and you do not get along because of prior instances.' You also use reflection when interviewing witnesses at a scene. It is a technique that usually brings more information. The tricky part to being a probation officer or even court personnel is when there is cultural differences.

Body language is different cultures is vastly different. I know for instance in my husband is Laotian, so as a sign of respect we bow when greeting and for my side we shake hands or hug. Laotion people generally speak quieter but when they are mad their voice intonation is much louder. So when you come across someone at work you should always be insightful.

When building rapport with someone play close attention to their unconscious body language. Try to familiarize yourself with different cultures or different languages that you may have to deal with on a daily basis so you do not appear caught off guard when some questions vaguely answered or not at all. Also along the same lines of the barriers with language is when speaking on the telephone we are not able to visually see and pick up on non verbal gestures and facial expressions.

If you are not interested in the topic you will only hear and retain bits and pieces of the conversation and this in turn causes a communication barrier. With every barrier we face through communication in the field, there are guidelines to follow and steps needed to be taken to ensure a successful and safe interaction for both involved parties.

The majority of police work is face to face interaction, it is imperative that police officers know how to efficiently and effectively communicate. A few tips to being a good conversationalist is to be polite, listen, be knowledgable and confident when interviewing a potential suspect, even when you are not. Outwardly showing that you are nervous or not showing that you are confident will allow the suspect to attempt to divert you from attaining necessary information or gain the upper hand on you, which can result in an extremely bad or fatal ending.

Being a police officer you see all different walks of life. You will need to mantain your composure and be non judgemental but also actively paying attention to your surroundings. As an officer you need to keep personal life and work separate and also be professional. Approaching every call by using all the information that has been relayed from the dispatcher. Ex: The caller is a woman in the middle of domestic disturbance so using that information the officer should approach the situation as potentially dangerous and with caution for the caller the suspect and him/her self, comparing that scenario with another call such as a fender bender on the interstate, the officer will approach this with a different mindset.

For each case there is a chance as a police officer that you may be subpoened to court to testify. As a Probation/Parole officer there are times when you are required to appear in court and when doing so make sure you have all necessary documentation needed and also are dressed professionally. Whatever proffesion you decide to choose I feel that this field is rewarding in many ways and also extremely insightful and has lessons that you wouldn't normally know and learn through everyday life or other professional fields.