Compelling Criminal Justice Communications

Strong communication skills are critical to success both as a criminal justice student and as a criminal justice professional. Compelling Criminal Justice Communications motivates and assists criminal justice students to produce dynamic written and oral communications. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the concrete principles involved in the production of compelling writings and briefings about crime. It not only identifies the features of effective communication, but also illustrates exactly how to achieve them. Covering a broad range of academic and professional communications, the book is accompanied by numerous practice exercises.

Shanna R. Van Slyke is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice in Utica College's School of Business and Justice Studies.

Preface
Introduction

Chapter 1. Introduction
Importance of Communication in Criminal Justice
The Communication Process
Special Challenges in Criminal Justice Communications
Criminal Justice Communication as Technical Communication
Nine Principles of Effective Criminal Justice Communication
Six Stages for Producing Effective Criminal Justice Communications
Planning
Collecting Information
Synthesizing Information
Drafting
Improving and Finalizing
Delivering
Papers
Presentations
Applications
Notes
The Cornell Note-Taking System
Best Practices
Interviews and Interrogations
Interviews
Interrogations
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Writing
References

Chapter 2. Principle 1: Professionalism
Guidelines
Adopt an Assertive Communication Style
Adhere to the Strictest Standards of Integrity and Ethics
Ethics and Integrity in School
Ethics and Integrity in the Workforce
Maintain an Appropriate Level of Formality
Tone
Diction
Applications
Job Application Materials
Cover Letters
Résumés
Best Practices
Performance Evaluation Reviews
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 3. Principle 2: Responsiveness
Guidelines
Address the Objective
Understand the Objective
State the Objective
Achieve the Objective
Adhere to Parameters
Target the Audience
Identify the Audience
Learn About the Audience
Customize the Communication for the Audience
Applications
Answers to Essay Questions
The Essay Verb
Sample Essay Questions and Answers
Best Practices
Emails
When to Use Email
Contents and Structure
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 4. Principle 3: Organization
Guidelines
Have a Beginning, a Middle, and an End
The Beginning
The Middle
The End
Outline Before You Write
Basic Outline Format
Types of Outlines
From Outline to Draft
Adopt an Appropriate Organizational Structure
Employ Organizational Devices to Highlight Your Structure
Organizational Devices in Papers
Organizational Devices in Presentations
Use Structural Variation to Distinguish Between Major and Minor Material
Paragraph Structure
Sentence Structure
Applications
Persuasive Papers
Topic and Stance
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Intelligence Briefings
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 5. Principle 4: Logic
Guidelines
Be a Habitual Critical Thinker
Self-Awareness
Open-Mindedness and Objectivity
Skepticism
Be Informed
Subject Matter
Argumentation
Avoid Logical Fallacies
Fallacies of Inconsistency
Fallacies of Irrelevance
Fallacies of Vacuity
Fallacies of Distortion
Fallacies of Mistaken Relationship
Diagram Arguments
Creating the Diagram
Correcting the Diagram
Advance Defensible Claims
Fortifying Arguments
Stating Conclusions
Applications
Policy Analyses and Policy Proposals
Policy Analyses
Policy Proposals
Best Practices
Presentence Investigation Reports
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 6. Principle 5: Evidence
Guidelines
Identify Where Evidence Is Needed
Determine What Evidence Is Needed
Claim Type
Proof Requirement
Evidence Forms
Evaluate Evidence
Single Pieces of Evidence
Total Evidence
Explain Evidence
Applications
Research Papers
Informative Research Papers
Persuasive Research Papers
Best Practices
Search Warrant Affidavits
Convincing the Judge to Issue a Search Warrant
Withstanding Later Scrutiny
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 7. Principle 6: Completeness
Guidelines
Include All Pertinent Information
Address Any Coverage Constraints
Too Much Information
Too Little Information
Applications
Lab Reports
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Crime Scene Reports
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 8. Principle 7: Correctness
Guidelines
Present Only Information That Is True
Know the Truth
Tell the Truth
Avoid Untruths and Half-Truths
Present Information in Proper Form
Learn the Rules
Use Proper Grammar
Use Proper Spelling
Use Proper Punctuation
Be Consistent
Applications
Critiques
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Arrest Reports
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 9. Principle 8: Clarity
Guidelines
Be Explicit
Be Direct
Be Precise
Avoid Equivocating
Use Plain Language
Favor Simple to Fancy Terms
Avoid Specialized Language
Be Literal
Avoid Euphemisms
Avoid Irony, Exaggeration, and Understatement
Avoid Idioms
Prefer Positive to Negative Constructions
Avoid Double-Barreled Questions
Applications
Discussion Posts
Types
Best Practices
Expert Witness Testimony
Balancing Concerns
Best Practices
Exercises
References

Chapter 10. Principle 9: Conciseness
Guidelines
Eliminate "Filler"
Written Filler
Oral Filler
Exclude Trite, Meaningless Statements
Omit Rhetorical Questions
Reword Clunky Prepositional Phrases
Refrain from Redundancy
Avoid Obvious Statements
Prefer Summaries to Paraphrases and Quotations
Quotation
Paraphrase
Summary
Applications
Abstracts
Contents and Organization
Best Practices
Tweets
Law-Enforcement Use of Social Media
Best Practices
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Editing
Writing
References

Chapter 11. Presentation
Design
Colors
Logo
Font
Alignment
Structure
Components
Layout
Title Slide
Overview Slide
Section Slides
Content Slides
References Slide
Closing Slide
Content
Style
Traditional
Assertion-Evidence
Simplicity
Visualization
Handouts
Practice
Delivery
Approach
Speech
Question-and-Answer Session
Exercises
Matching
Multiple Choice
Writing
References
Appendix A - Researching
Research Motives
Substantiating Claims
Documenting Knowledge
Advancing Knowledge
Research Products
Research Papers
Literature Review Papers
Literature Review Sections
Problem Formulation Section
Preliminary Research
Research Questions
Substantiating Claims
Documenting Knowledge
Advancing Knowledge
Search Terms
Too Many Results
Too Few Results
Search Tools
Search Engines
Library Databases
Google Scholar
Search Records
Appendix B - Formatting
Layout
Title Page
Abstract Page
Text
References
Documentation
In-Text Citations
Citing When Writing in Your Own Words
Citing When Quoting Fewer Than 40 Source Words
Citing When Quoting 40 or More Source Words
Citing Statistics
References
Overall Structure
Journal Articles
Books and Book Chapters
Government Reports
News Articles
Legal Documents
Closing APA Advice
References
Appendix C - Editing
Strategies
Stages
Stage 1: Purpose and Substance
Stage 2: Fit and Flow
Stage 3: Language and Mechanics
Stage 4: Layout and Documentation
References
Glossary
Answers to End-of-Chapter Exercises
Index